Born To Fly: Part II
by mily.alice
Summary: Part 2 Josephine Stark series. Josephine's experience as a "college student" is going anything but ordinary. Life at home isn't much better, with Tony acting stranger than usual. Crazed Russians, big green monsters, frat parties, aliens, boys, and Grandpa's not so dead Dead Superhero. These are the events before "The Avengers" seen through the eyes of their future handler.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm baaaaack! Originally Born to Fly was going to be all one story, but I decided to split it into two parts. This story will take place from a bit before Iron Man 2, up until a bit after the events in Thor (when Captain America is found).**

 **Thank you to everybody who reviewed my previous story! You guys motivated me to continue!**

 _ **Disclaimer: Marvel owns all the Marvel things. I am not Marvel and therefore do not own any of the Marvel things.**_

* * *

 **August 30th, 2009**

"Remember to always lock the doors, and check the stove before you leave," Pepper repeated for the third time that day. She, Josephine, and Tony were standing on the runway for Tony's private plane in New York. The day before, they'd flown in and driven to Syracuse to get Josephine settled into her new apartment.

"Pep, I can guarantee that she will never turn the stove ON to begin with," Tony said, putting a hand on his PA's shoulder.

"He has a point," Joei laughed, taking one of Pepper's hands in hers, "But thanks for worrying. I can assure you I will be fine."

"Will you give your old man a hug before he leaves you to fend for yourself in college?" asked Tony, holding out his arms.

Joei folded into his embrace and returned it tightly. It had been a very long year, and she wasn't looking to repeat it any time soon.

"Don't date any guys who are older than you."

"Dad, I graduated a year early. They are ALL older than me."

"Good."

Joei laughed and pulled away to hug Pepper, who held on tightly for even longer than her dad had done.

"The house is going to be so quiet without you."

"I'm sure Dad will make up for it in double the explosions," said Joei, "But I'm going to miss you, too, Pepper. I'll be back for Thanksgiving, okay?"

"I can't wait."

They said goodbye for another fifteen minutes, before Pepper and Tony finally climbed onto the plane and Joei was ushered off the ramp and behind the fence. She watched as the plane took off, until it was just a spot in the sky.

"Fury wants to speak to you."

"Agh!" Joei jumped, her hand flying to her chest, "Are you freaking kidding me? Why can't you say Hello like a normal person? Tap me on the shoulder, shuffle your feet, make a noise to let me know you're approaching. Jeez!"

"Spies are supposed to be silent," said the man who was surely going to give Joei a heart attack some day. He was standing to her right, still looking straight ahead in all black and extra dark sunglasses.

"Yeah, I get that being silent is like the golden rule for you people, but are you trying to kill me?" Joei sighed in frustration at Clint Barton's comepletly expressionless face, "So where and when does the big man want to speak to me? Does he usually call new recruits in for orientation?"

"No. Most students don't meet the Director until their graduation day, when they get their badges."

"So, more special treatment for me?"

"Looks like it." said Barton, still not looking at Joei.

"Do you ever look people in the eyes?"

"Only when I need to manipulate them."

"You're disturbing. Has anybody ever told you that?"

"Yes. You. Often."

"That's because it's true." she looked pointedly at him, but he still didn't turn, "So when and where does the boss want to see me?"

"Ritz Carlton in thirty minutes."

"S.H.I.E.L.D Agents stay at the Ritz?"

"The Director does."

"Nice."

There was a long silence in which Joei thought she might be able to make the agent speak first, but in the end he won out.

"You're great at small talk."

"You talk too much."

"I'm seventeen. I'm a kid. It's what we do. Do you have kids?"

Silence.

"Okay. No kids. Got it. Shall we?"

The drive to the center of New York City in Joei's new car (a gift for graduating high school early) would have been completely silent if it hadn't been for her AI (a gift for entering college early) named FRIDAY playing Mozart.

"You have arrived at the Ritz Carlton, Miss Stark," said a woman's smooth voice through the car speaker.

"Thank you, FRIDAY."

"Friday?" Barton asked as they stepped out of the car. He had removed the sunglasses and black leather jacket to reveal a green polo shirt, and had now taken on a much more relaxed stance and walk.

"Yeah, like the movie, you know? My Girl Friday?"

"Never heard of it."

"Sometimes I think you act oblivious to pop culture just to irritate me." she said, handing over her car to the Valet.

"Why would I do that?" Barton smirked lightly, making Joei startle as he held out his arm for her. Obviously they were acting, seeing as they were out in public. His usual coldness would make him stick out. If they acted relaxed enough, they might be able to pass off for a father and daughter, so long as people didn't look too closely beneath Joei's hoodie.

Barton lead her to an elevator that had an OUT OF SERVICE sign on it, which he quickly ripped off before opening the door.

"I feel like I'm in a bad James Bond movie."

"I am so much cooler than James Bond," said Barton when the door closed behind them.

"Agent Barton, that is the second joke you have made today. Are you beginning to lighten up around me? Are we becoming friends?"

"Call it work acquaintances. I've been on solo missions for too long. I'm Team-sick."

"You have a team?"

"A partner. We're pretty popular around the Academy so I might as well tell you now. We're called Strike Team Delta. Her name's Romanoff. She was trained by the Soviet Union. She defected and became one of ours. She's one of Fury's most trusted Agents. She's also the best at undercover. So far there hasn't been a single lie detector that she couldn't beat."

"Are you guys, like, a couple?"

"That's none of your business." he answered aggressively.

"Okay. Not a couple. Got it."

The elevator dinged to reveal a very large living room.

"This is..." Barton started.

"The Presidential Suite, yeah. I've been here before."

"Then by all means make yourself at home," a deep voice called out from the window. The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D was a tall black man with an eye patch. His black trench coat and severe demeanor clashed harshly with the creams and pale golds of the room. Two agents stood at attention on either sides of the room, and two more were standing by the elevator door.

"Agent Coulson, it's nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too, Miss Stark. Especially under different circumstances."

"You mean you NOT having to clean up my dad's mess only for him to make it messier?"

"That's exactly what I meant."

Coulson stepped forward, handing her a folder and a pen, "Before this meeting goes any further, I'm going to need you to sign this."

"I don't sign anything without reading it first," Joei said, taking the manila folder and opening it to reveal five pages of text with the header NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT, "You people are very thorough."

"A necessary precaution," said the agent that had been standing on Fury's other side. He was bald, only an inch or two taller than Joei, and wore a pair of outdated glasses.

"Right, well, if you don't mind, I'm going to take a seat," said Joei, settling into the largest couch and putting her feet up on the coffee table just to bother the agents in the room, "This may take a while."

A long while later, she looked up, "Okay. I have to admit I'm actually impressed. It's been ten minutes and I can't find a single loop hole. No telling anybody about what is going to be discussed today. And no mentioning it to any of you unless we're in a secure and completely private location."

"Sitwell, Rumlow, and Barton," said Fury as Josephine clicked the pen and signed the bottom of the agreement, "Wait outside."

That left Josephine with the director, Agent Coulson, and a woman with dark hair.

"Miss Stark, this is Maria Hill. She's my second in command. You already know Coulson. He's my eyes and ears."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hill."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Stark," the woman smiled slightly before going back to her severe expression, her hands never unclasping form behind her back.

"So, seeing as your little contract was so specific, I imagine we should get on with this meeting. It sounds like it might take a while."

The two agents looked at the director, who walked to the couch in front of Joei and sat down casually before starting.

"You already know everything that you need to know about S.H.I.E.L.D and the Academy for now. But we're here to talk to you about the reason you have been chosen for a certain project."

"Groovy," Joei muttered, causing the two agents to bite back laughs.

"It's called the Avengers Initiative." said Fury, pretending that she hadn't said a word.

"Okay...what are we avenging?" Joei joked, but she had to admit this was catching her attention. What was so special about her that she had been hand picked for such a secret project?

"Nothing yet," said Coulson, "The Avengers are a group of...remarkable people. People with abilities beyond those of a normal S.H.I.E.L.D agent. Like a special task force, or a response team. The kind that can win the battles that a normal team can't."

"And where do I come in? Unless you count having lots of money or impeccable fashion sense as superpowers, there isn't anything all that remarkable about me. The most I could do is become a regular agent at the Academy. By what I've read, most of these kids are geniuses, or talented martial artists, or remarkable shooters. I'm just a teenager with a big mouth."

"A big mouth that knows how to handle tough situations." said Fury, "We've observed you for a while, Miss Stark. Almost since your adoption. Peggy Carter thought you had potential. And I agree. You know how to work a crowd, how to talk to the press, and according to Agent Barton, your quick thinking is what saved your father from getting fried on the roof of his factory."

"Okay so I think fast and I know how to talk my way out of things," said Joei, "I'm still not sure why you want to put me on a team full of people who are even better than S.H.I.E.L.D agents."

"Because we think you would make a good handler," said Coulson.

"Agent Coulson was my first choice for this job," said Fury, "He's a good handler, and a good liaison. But I need him for other jobs. The team will have a leader, one that will give orders in the field. Your job will be to keep them in check, to act as a liaison between them and S.H.I.E.L.D, and to make sure they don't kill each other."

"And who will be a part of this team?"

"We're still recruiting," said Hill, "So far only one of our own has made the cut, though she might not be willing at first."

The TV screen came to life with the picture of a very pretty red headed woman and Hill continued, "Agent Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow, former member of the KBG. Trained and physically enhanced in The Red Room."

"Enhanced?" Joei raised an eyebrow.

"The Red Room was a training facility for young assassins. They started as young as four or five years old. From the moment that girls began their training, a long list of chemicals and enhancing drugs were administered to them. Anybody who graduated from the Red Room did so with a higher pain tolerance, increased stamina, and enhanced strength. She's no Super Soldier, but she's far more deadly." said Maria.

"Romanoff!" Joei jumped suddenly, "That's Barton's partner, right?"

"Agent Barton told you about Natasha?" Coulson seemed surprised.

Joei bit her lip, "I...um...He's not in trouble is he? I was kind of talking his ear off. I think he only said it so I would shut up. And he said it was like common knowledge at the Academy, or whatever..."

"It is," said Coulson, "It's just surprising that Barton would talk about himself to someone that he doesn't know all that much."

"Oh. Well. For the record, that's pretty much the only thing he has every told me about himself. For the most part he stares ahead and tells me I talk too much." the others nodded, seemingly convinced, "So...Romanoff is on the list of candidates. Anybody else? What about Barton?"

"It's a possibility," said Fury, "But he's not on the top of the list."

"So we're not allowed to tell him, either?"

"He knows about the initiative," said Coulson, "He doesn't know who is on the list. Except for you."

"Got it. So who's next?"

The screen changed to reveal a slightly scruffy but handsome looking guy somewhere in his thirties. It was one of those official looking pictures that went on business cards or certificates. He had dark curly hair, slightly tanned skin, and glasses.

"Dr. Bruce Banner."

"The physicist?" Joei asked in confusion, "What's he going in for?"

"For that," said Fury as the screen changed, revealing a very large green blurry thing.

"What is that?" Joei whispered, staring wide eyed at the screen as she tried to understand what she was looking at. There was a woman on the ground next to the green blur, and she looked positively tiny in comparison.

"That is Bruce Banner." said Fury.

"Very funny."

"I don't joke."

Josephine turned to the three adults in the room, waiting for them to crack and giggle or laugh or chuckle. Except they didn't.

"Is this for real?"

"Dr. Banner has some...temper issues."

"What like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?"

"Something like that." said Coulson, "A few years ago Dr. Banner took on a project with General Thaddeus Ross and Dr. Elizabeth Ross. Their goal was to recreate the super soldier serum used to turn Steve Rogers into Captain America."

"Looks like they got a little over enthusiastic if you ask me," said Joei.

As Hill continued the explanation, security footage from a laboratory began to play on the screen. Joei watched as Dr. Banner settled into what looked like a high tech dentist chair behind a glass window, a woman in a lab coat and an older man in an army uniform watching from the other side of the glass, "Dr. Banner thought that gamma radiation could be the key to recreating Dr. Erskine's formula. When General Ross urged him to begin trials, he decided to test it on himself."

Joei watched as the chair moved and a large laser passed in front of his face. The female doctor suddenly rushed forward as warning bells began to ring and red lights started to flash. On the other side of the glass, Dr. Banner became encased in what looked like lightning and smoke. Dr. Ross rushed back and forth from one computer to another for almost a minute, while the General stood as stoic as ever, watching the chaos beyond the glass. Finally, the smoke cleared enough to reveal what had happened to Dr. Banner.

A giant green creature burst through the glass, sending Dr. Ross backwards as the power in the room flickered. Before the green thing could do much more, the security camera's power went out.

Josephine sat in silent shock for a moment, trying to assimilate what she'd seen.

"Does it...or he...have a name?"

"Not that we know of," said Hill.

"And can Dr. Banner control it?"

"As far as we know he can't."

"Where is he?"

"We don't know."

Josephine huffed at the three of them in frustration, "Is there anything you DO know?"

"We know that whatever this creature is, he's strong." said Fury, "And we also know that Dr. Banner is one of the most brilliant minds on this planet. He'll figure out how to control it. Maybe he already has. It's been a while since he's had an incident. So long that we lost track of him."

"I thought S.H.I.E.L.D was supposed to keep an eye on potentially threatening people."

"We do. That's why we have a team dedicated to tracking the good doctor," said Coulson, "We'll find him within a month."

"Let me know when you do," said Josephine, making Agent Hill raise an eyebrow at her, "If I'm going to be in charge of these people some day, I want to at least know where they are, and what they're up to if possible. Otherwise we have no deal, and I can go study at NYU or any of the other schools I got accepted to."

"No one is irreplaceable," said Fury.

"You sure about that?" Joei snorted, crossing her arms and doing her best not to break eye contact with the admittedly intimidating man, "Because I'm about ninety percent sure of who the next person on that list is, and I can tell you right now that he's not going to listen to any one of your suit clad minions. No offense, Agent Coulson."

"None taken." Coulson furrowed his brows, "I think."

"Next candidate?" Joei expectantly asked Agent Hill, who clicked the remote control with a sigh.

"Anthony Edward Stark. Iron Man. Superior intellect, full knowledge of weapons and mechanics, and possession of a suit that allows him to fly and fight."

"He's also extremely rich and could probably help you fund this whole project if you asked him nicely."

There was a drawn out silence in which Agent Hill scratched her wrist and Coulson cleared his throat.

"Actually," said Fury, standing from the couch and walking toward the window again, "There is another project for which we were hoping to get the Stark family fortune to help with."

"And what's that?"

"Bringing back Project Rebirth."

It was Josephine's turn to stand up, "Um, we just saw one very good reason as to why that is a bad idea. One big, green, angry reason."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't plan on creating its own serum," said Coulson, "We want to find the original one."

"There is none left. The only bit of it that wasn't put into Steve Rogers' body was ruined when Rogers went after the HYDRA mole. Trust me, I know the story." said Joei.

"Which means that the only remaining serum is precisely _in_ Steve Rogers' body." said Hill, shutting off the TV.

"Excuse me?"

"The World Security Council that monitors and determines S.H.I.E.L.D's actions has decided to cut funding for the search of one Steven Grant Rogers so that the money can be used for a new project." said Fury.

"Woah," Joei held up both hands in front of her chest, "You want _me_ to give you money from _my dad_ to fund the program that turned my _grandfather_ into an abusive, alcoholic _asshole_ that ruined my dad's childhood and gave him all sorts of issues that carried way into adulthood? So that you can make super soldiers? That I will later have to babysit?"

"Told you she'd take it well," a voice said from the door. Barton was back, looking far too amused, "I can come in now, right?"

"Yes," said Hill, "We've finished with profiling."

"Hey, kid," said Barton, a smirk on his face, "You know you'd also be helping find the love of your aunts life, you know?"

Josephine glared at him, "That's low, Barton."

Barton shrugged before flopping onto the couch, "It's just something to think about."

Josephine bit her lip. She was way in over her head.


	2. Chapter 2

**I would once again like to apologize for my long periods between updates. My first job out of college turned out to be a lot more demanding than it was supposed to be, so much so that I am considering quitting. I'm working on chapter 3 right now, so will try to get that out tomorrow.**

 **Once again, I own nothing.**

 ***I had to come back to this chapter and make a little revision. Earlier I had mentioned that Joei is 5'7"...in this chapter I had written her being 5'4"  
Josephine IS 5'7", and the mistake has been corrected.**

* * *

September 1st, 2009

"Hey, Aunt Peggy."

"Hello there, my dear," the old woman smiled from her bed. She was looking strangely bright today, as if she had received good news.

"You look happy. Is there something going on?"

"Well, I just didn't expect you so soon. Shouldn't you be settling in at the Academy?" Peggy asked, a glint decorating her eye.

"Classes don't start until next Monday. And I'm not moving my things to the dorm until Saturday. I won't need much anyway since my apartment is only fifteen minutes away." said Joei, going over to the bed and hugging her aunt.

"You didn't come here to talk about the Academy."

Joei pulled back, "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Know everything."

Peggy chuckled, "In case you haven't noticed, you're speaking to the first director of the world's biggest most well kept secret spy organization. Now, come curl up next to your aunt and tell her all your woes."

Joei climbed onto the bed next to Peggy, letting the older woman's arms engulf her as she rested her back against Peggy's side.

"I spoke to Director Fury."

"Nicholas?" Peggy shifted slightly, her hand coming to comb through Joei's hair, "I wasn't aware that he ever spoke to recruits."

"He doesn't. But he needed something from me. A favor."

"Nicholas Fury asked you for a favor?" Joei could head the surprise in Peggy's voice, "It must be a very big favor."

"It is."

The room was silent for a while. Josephine's eyes started to droop as her aunt's fingers continued to run through her hair. Before they could shut, Joei sat up slightly and decided now was as good a time as ever.

"The World Security Council wants to stop the search for Steve Rogers."

She'd said it in the most detached voice she could, but that didn't stop the hitch that caught in Peggy's throat.

"Oh."

Joei sat in silence, deciding to let her Aunt say more if she wanted to. After a while, Peggy sighed.

"Howard and I kept that search going for too many personal reasons. One of the most important things we used to teach was that an agent should never be a part of an emotionally compromising mission...But we were compromised. I managed to allow my life to continue. I threw myself into my work. Rounding up HYDRA, returning to the SSR, helping clear Howard's name when his weapons were stolen, and building up S.H.I.E.L.D until it was the strongest spy organization in the world...and I got married and had children and grandchildren and _a life_. I created a life without Steve Rogers by focusing on my family and my work.

"But for Howard it was different. Steve _was_ his work, his greatest achievement...and his friend. Howard never let it go, so he kept up the search."

"And after he died?" Joei asked, wondering why the World Security Council had chosen to finally cancel the search after so many years.

"I kept it up for a while, until I handed over my place to Alexander Pierce." Peggy explained, "I always knew that he was doing it for his own reasons. He hoped to find Steve and by doing so, find the only remaining Super Soldier Serum left on this planet."

"And use it to make more super soldiers," Joei said quietly, remembering her meeting with Fury.

"Yes."

"And did you...were you okay with that?"

"I was blind to it. Or at least, I pretended to be in the hopes that one day I might be able to look at Steve Rogers' face again, even if it was frozen in the arctic somewhere." Peggy said, sounding extremely tired.

"Aunt Peggy, Director Fury is asking me to give him the funds to keep up the search. But I can't do that without your permission."

"My permission?"

"Aunt Peggy, you're the closest person he has left. If you don't want S.H.I.E.L.D to use his blood, then I can end the search. But if you really do want him to be found..."

Peggy's arms wrapped tighter around Joei, and the younger girl realized that her aunt was crying quietly.

"You have to promise me something..." said Peggy.

"Anything, Aunt Peggy."

"The Serum enhances everything. Not just physical traits, but personality traits. It takes a good man to become a good Super Soldier. Not a strong man, or a tough man, or a fast man. It's what Steve would have wanted."

Joei turned around so that she could hug Peggy tightly, "I promise, Aunt Peggy."

* * *

September 5th, 2009

The Communications sector of S.H.I.E.L.D Academy was a large campus of low buildings, kept out of sight by large, two or three story houses that surrounded the entire area and a high brick wall that came around it, making it look like a very large, expensive housing complex that sat a good twenty minute drive away from any other buildings or homes.

To get through the front gate, Joei showed the Syracuse University student ID which had come with the packet that had been delivered to her apartment (as in, right on her coffee table in the living room) to the Security guard. The ID was taken and scanned, and she was ushered in with a quick nod. Inside there was another, much more intimidating gate where four armed agents stopped her. A large metal arc suddenly appeared in front of her car, lighting up with a laser grid.

The arc began to move slowly towards the back of the car, and then up front again.

"Miss, are you aware that there are small explosives installed in your car?" one of the agents asked, approaching the window slowly. He was extremely cute, or would have been if it wasn't for the stick-up-his-butt expression that was plastered on his face.

"I'm Iron Man's daughter." she deadpanned, "Of course my car has small explosives in it."

"Students are not allowed to bring weapons from outside on campus."

"Technically, the car is bringing me." Joei answered. Agent Hottie didn't seem to appreciate her humor.

Before the sour looking agent could answer, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"At ease, Agent Ward. She can pass."

"She's a student and her car is loaded with explosives," answered Ward in a tone that was only trying to stay calm but came out as relatively aggravated.

Barton didn't seem fazed by the clear dislike in Ward's voice, "She has Agent level clearance."

"Excuse me?"

"You are excused. Go find Garrett and tell him you're switching places. You can be in charge of the mess hall."

"Wha..."

"Now, Agent. Unless you rather be stuck on gate guard duty for the rest of the school year. I'm sure I can take up your field missions easily enough."

For a second it looked like the vein in Ward's temple was going to burst open, but he turned on his heel and walked inward toward the buildings in the distance.

"Move it along, kid, you're holding up traffic." said Barton with a not so subtle grin.

"Nice to see you, too, Agent Barton. Parking lot?"

"That way," he answered, pointing toward the right, "Dorm buildings are that way, too. Find your dorm building and park close by. Welcome to college, kid."

Joei drove in the direction Barton had pointed, slowing down as she approached the large web of dorm buildings. Most of the buildings on campus were one story so they could easily hide behind the fake houses, and unlike regular colleges that gave different, meaningful names to their dorm buildings, the ones at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy were all numbered with a letter D at the beginning.

Josephine spotted a redheaded girl wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo on the front, a clipboard clutched to her chest as she directed a pair of students that were carrying a couch. Deciding it was her best bet, she pulled up close to the girl and rolled down the window.

"Excuse me?" Joei asked, making the girl turn to her with a questioning expression, "Is this D-017?"

The girl shook her head with a smile and replied in heavy southern accent, "Nope. This is D-019. Seventeen is that one right across, but their parkin' lot is on the other side of the buildin'. The dorm major's name is James Fullerton. He's a real tall kid with blue eyes, you won't miss him. He's got a shirt like mine, a red baseball cap, and a whistle."

Joei nodded, "Thanks...um...I don't know your name."

"Cassie Atkins. I'm not your dorm major but if you ever need anythin' don't hesitate to ask."

"Thanks, Cassie," Joei smiled, "I'm Josephine, by way. But most people call me Joei."

A flash of recognition passed through Cassie's eyes as she took in Joei's face and the car, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Nice to meet you, Joei. And have a great school year."

Joei thanked her once more before driving off. She circled the back of building D-017, whistling lowly as she came upon the front of it. The other buildings were all nice, ranging from different styles. But D-017 was without a doubt the most upscale. It was one of the rare buildings that had a second story, and definitely was the biggest of the dorm buildings, but that wasn't all that made it look so impressive. The walls were made of a deep red brick, covered almost completely in green vines and the occasional patch of flowers. The windows on the first floor were large and welcoming, and some of the ones on the second story were floor length, if the balconies on many of them were anything to go by. D-017 had a large front yard with a paved walkway down the center that was lined with flowers, and a fountain off to one side. It looked like something out of a Jane Austen book.

"Looks like I got my typical college dorm hall after all," Joei mused to herself, finding an empty parking space not too far from the sidewalk.

Turning off the ignition, she stepped out and opened the trunk of her car, pulling out the suitcase full of clothes and a dufflebag full of her other things that she'd brought with her. She couldn't bring too many of her belongings to campus, since her apartment near the center of Syracuse needed to look lived in as much as possible, in case of surprise visits form her dad or Pepper.

"Okay. Tall kid in a baseball cap." she huffed to herself, walking behind a pair of much older looking girls up the sidewalk and towards the walkway leading to the house. She spotted James Fullerton halfway up the walk, a clipboard in one hand and a red hat in another. His black hair was sticking up in different places, and he looked quite frustrated as he yelled at a pair of identical dark haired, olive skinned boys. As Joei walked closer, she could hear James telling them off.

"Carlos, it is the first god damned, heaven forsaken day! You couldn't wait until at LEAST tomorrow?"

The twins were grinning as one of them, who Joei guessed to be Carlos, answered, "We already have something planned for tomorrow. This one had to be done today. Besides, you can't tell me it wasn't funny."

"No, Carlos," said James, placing his raggedy red baseball hat back on his head, "Filling the staircase with JELL-O cups is NOT a fun way to start moving day, okay? And it's a waste of perfectly good food. So I suggest you find a way for all that JELL-O to be eaten, or I will call Principal Tanner and she can deal with you."

The twins looked at each other and gulped. The other twin (not Carlos) spoke up, "We have a few trays in the dorm, I think. We'll ask a couple of the guys to help us pass them out to freshman. Tell them it's a welcome courtesy."

"So long as there's nothing strange in the JELL-O, I am all for it. Thank you, Hector."

"De nada."

The twins walked away, and Joei took that chance to walk up to James Fullerton.

"Um, hi."

James looked up from his clipboard with a start, "Oh! uh...hi. You didn't...um...did you see all of that?"

"Enough to know that those guys are going to have their work cut out for them in the form of jiggly food." Joei nodded, making James let out a relaxed sigh at her joke. "Are you James Fullerton?"

"It's not always this crazy here, I promise. And yeah, that's me. New recruit?"

"Yeah. And don't worry, I kind of come from a crazy household myself. I doubt any pranks you people get up to here could beat finding your dad after he made a hole through the roof."

"Is your dad a scientist?" asked Fullerton curiously. Joei noticed then that he was not all together bad looking. He was, indeed, very tall. And considering that Josephine was 5'7'', that was saying something. His skin was very fair, and his eyes were an electric blue that Joei had never seen before.

"Um, no. He's an engineer."

"I see," James nodded, looking down at his clipboard, "You know, we don't get many freshmen at D-017. It's not the easiest dorm hall to get into. You're pretty lucky."

"I figured that was the case," Joei shrugged, "But I kind of did the director a favor."

"You mean Principal Tanner?" he asked, watching as the twins stepped out of the building with trays full of JELL-O in their hands.

"No. I mean the Director. As in Nick Fury."

James' eyes widened, "You've _met_ Director Fury?"

"Yes. And he is as scary and weird as the Orientation packet makes him out to be. And don't look at his eye patch. Ever. He gives you a creepy stare with his good eye until you stop."

"That's good to know." James nodded, still seemingly in shock at the idea of a freshman having met Nick Fury. he looked down at the clipboard in his hands, "Um...I'm sorry but I didn't catch your name."

"Josephine Margaret Stark."

James did a double take and swallowed, "Your dad is..."

"Iron Man?"

"Well, I was going to say Tony Stark," James answered, rubbing at the back of his neck in embarrassment, "But yeah..."

"You don't have to be embarrassed," Joei laughed, "Don't worry, I get that reaction a lot."

"Well, Josephine Margaret Stark, here is your key. All rooms in D-017 are single rooms, except for Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum over there. They chose to share. Your room is number 16. I'll be your neighbor in 14 in case you need anything. And I would like to apologize ahead of time for my snoring, because the walls are pretty thin up there. Enjoy your stay and if you hear any explosions coming from room 19 at the end of the hall, you can ignore those. It's just the twins."

"Good to know. Thank you, James Fullerton. And you can call me Joei, by the way." Joei smiled.

"You're welcome, Joei. And it's just James. Or Jimmy," he smiled back brightly, and Joei had to walk away quickly to hide the blush on her cheeks.

She entered the building to discover that it was just as lavish inside as it was out. In fact, it looked like at some point it had been a mansion. The entrance way was lit up by a large chandelier, a large wooden staircase taking up most of the back as it swept out in both directions. A large banner hung from one side of the banister to another reading WELCOME BACK D-017. The entire left side of the stairs was not being used, probably because each step was covered in red JELL-O cups. With a laugh, Josephine went right and began to haul her luggage up the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm sorry my updates have been so sporadic on both my stories. I've got a lot more free time now than I did up until a few weeks ago (I quit my extremely demanding job). However, I've hit a bit of a mind block in my head as far as BOTH my stories. I know what direction I'm headed in, I'm just having a bit of trouble with getting there.**

 **Anywho...here is chapter 3. Chapter 4 is already in the works and should be finished in a couple of days.**

* * *

September 5th, 2009

Building D-017 was very large, but there were only twenty rooms total. Josephine's dorm was in the eastern wing of the second floor, labeled with a silver number 16 next to the door. Only a few inches from her door was room 14, labeled with the words DORM MAJOR beneath the number.

Joei opened the door and shoved her suitcase inside, turning on the light. The room wasn't very large, but it held a full sized bed with a black and gray comforter set, a bedside table with a lamp, and a desk. She also had her own bathroom with a small shower. The closet was open, revealing t-shirts in gray, white, and black and two pairs of black workout pants. Josephine hung up the clothes that were in her suitcase and placed the rest of the things she'd carried along in their place. The last things she pulled out of her backpack were two framed photographs. The first was her all time favorite. It was just two days after she'd been officially adopted, and Happy had driven her and her father to Santa Monica Pier for ice cream. She and Tony were sat on a bench, the ferris wheel in the background as they held up matching ice cream cones. It was the first time Joei could remember feeling that happy. Her childhood had started on that day.

The second picture was from only a few months ago. She stood between Tony and Pepper in the living room of their house in Malibu. They looked exhausted, and the cut Tony had received on his forehead during the battle on the roof of the factory still hadn't healed completely. But they'd been joking about something stupid and Pepper had laughed at Tony's antics for the first time in many days and Joei had hugged him tightly, the severity of what had happened finally settling in as they walked through the door of the house. Rhodey had laughed at them, before insisting on taking a picture. Tony's arm was draped over Joei's shoulders and she had her head on Pepper's shoulder as they smiled together.

Joei held the picture for a moment, sighing at the thought of how many lies she had told the two people in the picture to get here.

"I'll tell you the truth soon," Joei whispered to herself.

* * *

September 7th, 2009

Josephine made her way down the stairs of D-017 wearing the "Dress Uniform" that all students had been asked to wear today. It was basically a female version of the sort of suit Agent Coulson was always in, with a light blue scarf, and she wondered if Comms Agents wore this all the time, since she doubted they spent much time in combat suits like Barton or Hill. The white button up blouse was perfectly ironed, and the black blazer and dress pants at least were fitted, so she didn't look too bad.

"Breakfast?" two identical voices asked from behind her.

Joei turned around to find the twins, Carlos and Hector, standing in front of her with equally large smiles. They were wearing black and white suits of their own, with matching black ties. One was holding up a Styrofoam coffee cup, and the other was brandishing a danish.

"You didn't put anything in these, did you?" Josephine asked wearily, but the smell of coffee was beginning to overpower her.

"Of course not!" said the twin with the pastry, both of them looking shocked at Joei's suggested accusation, "We would never prank you directly!"

"Now, if by some off chance you accidentally got caught in a group prank," said the other.

"Then we can't say we didn't warn you."

"But we don't get many freshman here..."

"Actually we don't get any freshman here..."

"...which is why we have decided that you..."

"...are officially our little sister."

"Excuse me?" Joei snickered, reaching for the coffee cup.

"We," the twin on the right said, handing her the cup and pointing between himself and his brother, "Have appointed ourselves your big brothers. We won't take no for an answer."

"And what does being my big brothers entail exactly?" Joei took the danish and began to walk toward the door as the rest of the students began to file out of the building. The twins put on identical pairs of sunglasses outside.

"For starters, making sure you get some breakfast in you before class. We're early birds, so we always get first dibs on the pastries and the fresh coffee."

"Also, showing you who's who in Academy society."

"Pranking and/or threatening anybody who is mean to you..."

"...and any guy who makes unwanted advances or breaks your heart..."

"...questioning dates at the door..."

"...providing you with a map of the three secret, unguarded exits from this place..."

"...and assisting you in any other sneaky business."

"We also tutor on weekends, so if you ever need help with homework..."

"...come to us."

Joei raised an eyebrow as each boy propped an arm on her shoulder, and they made their way toward the auditorium for the official Welcome Assembly, "And you're doing this why, exactly?"

"Don't worry, they take on a freshman student every year. They aren't half as annoying as they make it sound. They can be surprisingly helpful when they want to be."

James was now walking behind them, the last student from D-017 to have walked out of the building.

"Can I place a few conditions?"

"Sure," said the twin on her left.

"First off, this coffee is great, but I usually take mine black. Second, no going in my dorm. Ever. Not because of stupid, girly stuff, but because of classified S.H.I.E.L.D stuff. If anybody thought you were snooping around my dorm, you'd be out of here and frying chicken nuggets tomorrow. And third, don't threaten my dates. I can do that on my own, my dad is Iron Man, remember?"

The twins, who were slightly taller than Joei, but not by much, looked over her head at each other before nodding.

"We accept your conditions, and promise not to put creamer in your coffee next time."

"Thank you, boys. Now, I have one more question...how on earth am I supposed to tell the two of you apart?"

The twin on her right laughed, "I'm Hector. And the way most people do it is because of this."

Hector was pointing to the top lid of his right eye. Just on the brow bone, was a thin white scar that ran just a bit into the tail of his eyebrow, leaving a small line of skin where brow hairs should have been.

"This idiot," Hector pointed a thumb at his brother, Carlos, "and I went fishing with our grandfather in Mexico once, and he threw a fishing hook at me."

"For the thousand time, I didn't see you. I wanted to see if I could throw it hard enough that it would pop that ugly inflatable chair Mom had bought us."

"Well, it flew hard enough that it hooked onto my eyebrow." said Hector, "But at least after that nobody called me Carlos again."

"Okay so, eyebrow scar is Hector. Hook thrower is Carlos," Joei nodded, "And the tall guy is James."

"That's me," James smiled as they neared the entrance to the auditorium, "The seats are separated by dorm building and then by year. You're the only freshman and we have the first two rows behind the teachers, so just sit on one of the ends."

"We're technically juniors," said Carlos, "Even though we've already been here for 4 years."

"We're special cases," said Hector.

"Really? I never would have guessed," Joei joked, making James snicker behind them.

"Very funny," said Carlos.

"Either way, we're not allowed to sit in the row right behind the teachers since we set Professor Wellington's hair on fire that one time."

"You did what?" Joei asked, wide eyed.

"It wasn't on purpose," said Hector, "We didn't know the fumes would react badly to keratin, and Wellington had just gotten a keratin treatment done on her hair the day before."

"So it's second row for us from now until we leave," Carlos sighed.

"Which will hopefully be in two years. I'm tired of programming crap in a classroom."

"As opposed to after graduation, where you'll be programming crap in a cubicle," said James.

"Yeah, but that cubicle could be anywhere in the world."

"They could send us to The Sandbox."

"Or the Hub."

"Or the Triskelion."

"If any of those plans fall through, and you're really as good as you say you are, I'm sure my dad would love to get you in on some of his new projects. Since we stopped making weapons, he's been looking for something else to keep the employees occupied and..." Joei stopped when she entered the Auditorium.

The building was larger than it looked from the outside, with a high ceiling of gray and white sculpted light boxes and vents. The room had two levels of seats, where many students were already taking their places. Josephine looked up at the second level of blue plush chairs, where it seemed that most of the younger nervous looking students like her were clustering around. As she looked around, she realized that most of the students near the front of the lower level were indeed older, with a couple younger ones here and there. There were three clusters of seats on this level, with the first row in each cluster being filled by teachers. To the left, another cluster started at the top and sloped upwards until the top rows were level with the second floor of seats. This part was taken up by whom Joei guessed were guests, because while many wore suits, they lacked the blue or black ties and scarves that went with the Academy dress uniform, and many others were dressed in different clothes, including S.H.I.E.L.D Ops suits like the ones Agents Hill, Rumlow, and Barton wore. A few others wore something similar to what Agent Ward and the others like him had been wearing on the day Joei arrived on campus, with all black and bulletproof vests, but they were few and far in between.

As Joei took a seat next to Carlos in the third row of the central cluster of seats, labeled D-017 just below the row number, a pair of agents sitting in the front row of the guests' section caught Josephine's eye.

"Is that Strike Team Delta?" Joei whispered to Carlos.

Carlos looked toward the couple's seats and his eyes widened, smacking his twins arm excitedly, "Dude, check it out."

"Woah." Hector gasped, "They really pulled out all the stops this time. I heard those two hardly ever do speeches. They've only ever given one at the Academy, but it was at Ops and it was at a graduation."

"And that one time after 9/11 when Agent Barton was all 'Difficult times lie ahead for our country', but that was recorded and they transmitted live to all the S.H.I.E.L.D. Facilities."

"So Ba-Agent Barton and Agent Romanoff are going to give a speech?" Joei asked.

"Yeah. The welcoming speech by the looks of it." said James, turning in his seat to face the other three, "How Principal Tanner pulled that off must have been crazy. These guys never take a break, and when they do, they disappear right off the radar. I hear only Nick Fury knows where exactly they are at any given time."

Josephine was silent, watching Barton and his partner. Barton's face was as severely serious as always, in a way that Joei had found intimidating at first, but was now getting used to. He was sitting with his arms draped over the armrests of his seat and his feet planted firmly on the floor, in his usual black on black S.H.I.E.L.D cargo pants and a t-shirt with a utility vest over it, a gun strapped to his hip. His severity was nothing compared to the woman next to him, however. Her curly red hair was loose around her shoulders, and she wore a S.H.I.E.L.D issued catsuit similar to Maria Hill's, but in a much darker shade of blue – almost black – and a gun strapped to her leg. There were some sort of thick bracelets on her wrists, and her expression was cool and calculating.

"She's kind of scary," Joei muttered.

"They both are," said the twins together.

Barton chose that moment to sweep over the room with his eyes, as most of the students were settling into their seats. His eye landed on Joei, and he nodded once.

"You know Agent Barton?" the girl next to James, whose name was Erin if Joei remembered correctly, asked with wide eyes.

"Um," Joei's eyes flickered to Barton, who was looking at her in well-masked amusement, "He was there that time we had that...issue...at my dad's factory. And he helped with clean up, and with creating an alibi which my dad ended up not using."

"Wow. Why didn't you tell us?" said Hector, looking completely impressed.

"I've only ever met Agent Barton once." lied Joei, "It's not like he comes over for Friday night dinner or anything."

One of the Professors in the front row stood then, making the room go quiet almost immediately as she stepped onto the stage and behind the podium. The professor, who Joei guessed was Principal Tanner, was a woman in her late forties. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a neat twist, and her eyes were sharp and moved quickly between the rows of students. She was dressed in a deep blue pencil skirt and blazer, a pin with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo secured onto her right lapel.

"Good morning, students. For those of you who do not know it yet, I am Principal Camille Tanner. On behalf of my entire staff, I would like to welcome students both new and old to another school year at S.H.I.E.L.D Academy's Communications Division. In the past few days, you all received packages with information correspondent to your year. I trust that you have all read those packages and are well informed of the rules and regulations of the Academy, as well as what is expected of you during the present school year."

At this, Joei was fairly certain that Principal Tanner had looked directly at the twins, who suddenly sat up straighter beside her and put on expressions of deep concentration.

"As you all know by now, S.H.I.E.L.D Academy has a highly selective recruitment and admissions program. We do not take only the top students of their class, or the only the best athletes. Each student is handpicked based on their abilities and potential to become a functional member of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. At S.H.I.E.L.D we value intellect as much as physical ability. We value logic and wit just as much as speed and endurance. But more than anything, we value loyalty. I, as well as the rest of my staff and those who recruited each of you, believe that you are more than capable of learning and growing into the type of people who S.H.I.E.L.D will soon come to value and count amongst its top agents.

"And to remind you all what exactly being a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent entails, Director Nick Fury himself has sent a pair of Agents who have seen more than their fair share of action out in the field, and are also both experts on data analysis and strategy. They have come prepared to speak to you, and I expect your full attention throughout their speech. Without further ado, I would like to invite Agent Natasha Romanoff and Agent Clint Barton, also known as Strike Team Delta, to the podium."

Barton and Romanoff stood together, Romanoff leading the way onto the stage. The room was deadly quiet as they stepped up to the podium together. Joei would have laughed at Barton's expression, if the one on his partner's face hadn't intimidated her so much.

"Thank you, Principal Tanner," Barton started, "And good morning to all of you. Agent Romanoff and I have been enjoying some downtime, so we figured we would crawl out of our safehouses for a while and talk to all of you. As you know, talking isn't exactly our specialty. So we'll try to make this as painless for everyone as possible."

There was a short chuckle from the crowd, before they fell into a highly respectful silence once again. This time it was Agent Romanoff who spoke in a clear, low voice.

"Agent Barton and I have been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D for a long time, but before that our lives were very different, as I'm sure many of yours were."

"S.H.I.E.L.D values many things," Barton continued, "Strength, intelligence, quick thinking. But above all those things, it values heart most of all. If you have the will to do good in this world, to protect it from those threats that nobody else can, then you'll fit right, no matter where you come form or how yo got here. Best of luck with this school year, and with the rest of your career at S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Romanoff and I hope to see you all very soon."

The two agents stepped down from the podium to a large round of applause. Rather than return to their seats, they stepped out of the auditorium through a side exit, but not before Barton turned to Joei with a short but meaningful look.

Joei was taking four classes this semester. The first was Basic Stealth, which was a class that every freshman from all three campuses was required to take, and was basically the gym class that Joei had always managed to get out of in high school by replacing it with ballet, cheerleading, or spinning class.

"Rock climbing?" Joei raised an eyebrow and snorted beside her fellow freshmen, "I hate rocks. And mountains. And anything that might contain a cave. Can I plead PTSD and get out of this?"

"Your father was in a cave, Miss Stark, not you." The teacher drawled, though she seemed secretly amused instead of bothered by Joei's comment. "At the end of the semester, you will be able to scale this fake rock to the top. It's only three stories, it won't kill you."

After her Gym Class in Disguise, Joei had a free hour, which she was grateful for after having to run laps and do crunches for an hour. Instead of changing back into her dress uniform and getting it all sweaty, she walked back to her dorm in the gray S.H.I.E.L.D tank and black sweats she had donned at the beginning of class, ready for a shower and some clean clothes.

She quickly closed the door behind her, flinging off her backpack and getting ready to peel off her tank top when a voice caused her to quickly pull it back down her midriff.

"Get a nice workout?"

"You have got to be kidding me," Joei deadpanned, looking at the two agents perched neatly on the end of her bed, "Is privacy a foreign concept to you people? Are you going to make breaking into my apartment a thing now, because I have a tendency to sleep in my underwear and I really rather not have to worry about some creep with a bow and arrow sneaking into my bedroom at night."

"We'll be out of your hair soon enough, I just thought I would introduce you to someone." said Barton, motioning to the redhead who had stood and was looking at the pictures on Joei's nightstand.

"Hi." Joei waved simply, falling into her desk chair. How was she going to survive working out this much every day?

"I'm impressed, Barton," said Agent Romanoff, "They're usually still scared of you at this point."

"Well, I'm sweaty and tired and I have class in forty minutes. Being scared didn't fit into my schedule." said Joei, pulling her neatly folded uniform from her backpack and trying to smooth out any wrinkles, "It's very nice to meet you, Agent Romanoff. But really, I wish you'd both waited outside or knocked."

"Romanoff and I are going to be heading out on separate missions. I'll be nearby and you can still contact me in case of an emergency. Natasha will be undercover."

"I'm guessing it's classified." Joei rolled her eyes, pulling out underwear from the drawer.

"It is for now, but you'll see me soon enough," said Romanoff, "All I ask is that if you do, you go along with it."

"Yeah, okay." said Joei, "Now, if you really don't mind, I have thirty five minutes to turn back into a human being and be in my Tactics 101 class so..."

"We'll be going." said Barton, standing from the bed and heading to the door with his partner, "If you need anything..."

"I've got your number." Joei nodded, "Have a nice trip, Agent Barton. You too, Agent Romanoff."

After Basic Stealth and her free hour, Joei had a ninety minute Tactics 101 class where she'd been given a very large textbook and an electronic version in the form of a CD.

"Note to self," Joei grunted as she made her way back to the dorm to kill off the half hour she had before lunch, "Bring a laptop to tactics class or I'm going to hurt my back carrying this thing."

"Ah, the walk of the Tactics Book," said James when she pushed through the front doors of D-017 and let the heavy thing fall on a side table in the entry hall, "Don't worry, we've all been there. Professor Bomer will only ask you to take it into class once or twice during the year, though. Other than that, just take notes on the reading."

"I figured I would just put the CD on a laptop and be done with it," Joei shrugged.

"Isn't a laptop just as heavy as the book?" James asked, taking the book and following Joei up the stairs.

"Not when your dad is Tony Stark, it's not."

"Right. The whole thing is probably just a hologram on a tiny plastic square." James chuckled.

"I try not to show off too much," Joei smiled, "A lighter version of whatever Dell has come up with these days should be just fine."

"Any chance of him sending you an extra one of those?"

"Maybe if you keep carrying my books for me," Joei laughed as they reached their neighboring doors, "I'll see you at lunch."

"Mind if I walk down with you?" asked James, "The twins' class doesn't get out until just before lunch, so they're not going to come back here to walk down."

"That sounds like a plan," said Joei, "I'll see you in fifteen minutes."

"Okay. You can take off the blazer and the scarf for the afternoon, by the way. They only make you wear the whole ensemble on Monday mornings."

"Good to know. Thanks."

* * *

Joei's cell phone rang just as she stepped out of the shower that night, flashing a picture of her dad on the screen.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, hey, kiddo. How was the first day?"

"It was great," Joei answered, "How's the Mark Four coming along?"

"It was coming along great until I dragged him away from the shop to shower, sleep, and eat an actual meal," Pepper's voice cut in, "He almost broke a record."

"Pepper, the couch in the lab is for sleeping."

"An hour long nap is not enough, Tony."

"Hi, Pepper," Joei smiled, happy to hear them arguing, "It's only been a few days and I miss you guys all ready."

"Could've gone to USC," Tony muttered, "Or Stanford. Or UCLA, or any other place that wasn't on the opposite side of the country."

"Don't worry, Dad. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it."

"You know you can come out before that if you want. Just let us know and we'll send the jet over," said Pepper.

"Or we could just buy you your own jet and you can come home _every_ weekend," said Tony, making the girls laugh.

"Dad, I know I said I miss you, but I think traveling across the country every weekend would be a bit much. When I get over there we will do all of our favorite things."

"Oh my gosh!" Pepper exclaimed suddenly, "I just realized that you won't be here for your birthday. I've never missed your birthday."

"That's okay, Pepper," said Joei, "I can fly in that weekend and we can do something then."

"But we always do something on the day of." said Pepper, "And after last year..."

The three of them were silent for a moment as memories of last year came back. Joei had celebrated her birthday with the two of them by going out and getting her learner's permit and a car, but her Sweet Sixteen had been canceled when her father had disappeared just two days later.

"We'll fly out," said Tony suddenly.

"What?" Joei asked, trying not to sound alarmed.

"We'll fly out to New York on your birthday. JARVIS, look up the fanciest restaurant in Syracuse and make a dinner reservation there. Or should we throw a party? We could throw a college party, you could invite the whole campus. Hell, we could rent the campus for the night and throw the party there."

"No, no," Joei said mildly, "Um...we can throw a party when I turn eighteen. Dinner is fine, really."

They chatted for a few minutes more, before Joei stated she was tired and Pepper decided it was time to get Tony to sleep in a bed for more than four hours and go home to rest herself.

It took Josephine very little time to fall asleep, drifting off with thoughts of rock climbing and evasion tactics.

* * *

 **I realize this kind of feels like a filler chapter, but I wanted to include some of Joei's life at the Academy. I'm making up most of this as I go along, seeing as we don't really know much canon-wise about the Academy except for that bit from the science division on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. So if anybody has any ideas, they would actually be really welcome. Feel free to pitch in ideas for classes Joei should take, or any special talents that James and the twins should have up their sleeves.**

Oh, and about James' line about laptops being heavy...remember this is set in 2009. Most laptops were heavy back then.


	4. Chapter 4

**I am finally over my writer's block in regards to this story! After seeing Civil War, I honestly could think of nothing more than how Josephine was going to react to everything. It's safe to say it will be just as intense as the movie itself.**

 **However, we still have a long ways to go until then, and last night I was finally able to push through and breathe some life into Joei once again.**

 **The first few parts of this chapter are kind of short. They're a bit like deleted scenes or short scenes that build up background for the future. Since I'm basing this whole thing off of mostly the movies, I kind of see it in my head in movie format.**

 **Anywho, with one last disclaimer about how this story and all characters but Joei belong to Marvel, I present to you, chapter 4.**

* * *

November 17, 2009

The sun was starting to set as Joei sat on a large beach blanket, her knees drawn up to her chest with a sweater wrapped tightly around her. It was cold on the Stark's private beach in Malibu, but after living almost her entire life in a house with an ocean view, she had missed this. The moment she had arrived home to an empty house for Thanksgiving break, she'd thrown on an old gray cardigan that Pepper had left for nights when she took care of Joei and headed out toward the sand. Her dad would be back soon from his meeting, so for now she was content with feeling the salt and sea spray and smell the ocean before her. The Academy didn't have any views that came close to this.

A few minutes later, she heard somebody making their way through the light sand and turned, raising an eyebrow.

It was Agent Coulson, his black trousers rolled up to mid calf and his shoes and socks in his hand.

"Thank you for having the courtesy of not sneaking up on me and making me fall face first in the sand," said Joei, scooting over on the blanket to allow the man to sit.

"I figured you get enough of that from Barton." said Coulson, sitting down in a similar fashion to Joei, "How's it feel to be home, Miss Stark?"

"Like shit."

Coulson raised an eyebrow, "That's not the answer I usually get."

Joei sighed, "An hour from now my dad and Pepper are going to walk through the door, asking me all about Syracuse and how my classes are going. I was barely able to stand lying so much to them the night they went to visit me for my birthday. Now I'm in the same situation for four or five days."

"It's part of being an Agent."

"Yeah, I know. I just thought I would start off telling lies to bad guys, not to my family."

They were quite for a moment, the breeze getting colder and causing Joei to pull her sweater closer around her torso.

"I'm guessing you didn't come here to listen to my woes," Joei broke the silence.

"No. I came here to give you a debriefing."

"Debriefing?"

"You said you wanted to be kept informed on everything having to do with the candidates for the Avengers Initiative. We found Banner."

"Where is he?" Joei asked, sitting up straighter. "Have you talked to him?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D hasn't engaged him. We intend to let him be until we need him, or until he proves to be a danger to innocent bystanders. So far he hasn't been."

"So...where is he then? And how did you find him?"

"South America, currently traveling toward Rio de Janeiro. He had an incident with some bandits."

"Was anybody hurt?"

"A couple of a drug cartel's most dangerous men are in the hospital with serious injuries. If anything, Banner did the people of that village a favor. Last we heard from the ground agents, some of the villagers were making Banner's alter ego a big green shrine in the center of the village."

"So other than a few South Americans worshiping a new Patron Saint, there's no other collateral damage?"

"He took out a telephone pole and stepped on a couple of chickens. That was about it."

"Try to keep your eyes on him this time."

"He's not exactly easy to track. For somebody who's spent his life working with some of the world's most complicated and advanced technology, he's pretty good at going off grid."

"Keep me posted. And also keep me posted on any new possible recruits, and on the status of the search for Rogers."

"We have agents analyzing everybody on the Index, but so far no one has come through as a possible Avenger. As for the search, the boats are still out there, but no luck."

"Thank you, Agent Coulson."

"I'll take that as my cue to leave. It was nice seeing you again, Miss Stark.

"I'll see you around, Coulson," Joei held out her hand for him to shake. The Agent grinned, shook her hand, and began the trek up the beach toward a boardwalk that was not too far from the house.

It wasn't long before Joei's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Miss Stark, Sir has asked me to inform you that he has arrived." JARVIS's voice rang through, making Joei raise an eyebrow. Her dad must have upgraded Jarvis to make calls himself.

"I'll be right up, J, thanks."

* * *

November 30, 2009

"I thought famous people were supposed to be in shape!" Hector called up.

"Says the asshole who is eating donuts while I climb a freaking rock wall!" Joei heaved back, getting more and more frustrated by the second.

"You're halfway there, Joei. Keep going! You can do it!" James called from quite far above her.

"You and I both know," Joei huffed, grabbing a yellow "rock" above her, "that this is nowhere close...uff..." her right foot slipped and her ear met fake plastic rock, "...to halfway."

"Call it one third," one of the twins called up, "Come on, Jo. You got this."

"Jo?" Joei chanced a glance downward, instantly regretting it, "Woah. That's really high."

"You don't mind if we call you that, do you?" Hector asked.

"I already have a dozen other nicknames. Why not? But just the two of you, alright? I don't want the media to start calling me a boy's name..." she sighed, "Can I come down now?"

"No, Joei," James insisted, looking quite relaxed as he hung near the top of the rock wall "You have fifteen days to be able to climb to the top of this thing in less than two minutes."

"My dad can fly! I will never need this!"

"Jo," Carlos called gently, "Do you want to take a break?"

Joei tried her best (and failed) not to pout, "Yes, please."

The twins helped pull her down and remove the harness, James not far behind her.

"I hate this stupid wall," Joei grumbled.

"How do you pack so much junk food and not grow twice your size?" Hector asked, still chewing on his donut.

"Didn't your mom ever tell yo not to chew with your mouth open?" Joei laughed, "And, I used to ride my bike around the beach a lot. And I'm also a fan of swimming. But I lost a lot of weight last year because of..."

A heavy silence fell and the boys nodded in understanding.

"I'm still getting a lot of that back," Joei shrugged, "And I burn quite a few calories taking the stairs at SI. But I've never been overly graceful, nor have I got much upper body strength. It's a side effect of growing up with robots that carry heavy things for you."

She walked over to the gym's bleachers and took a sip of water, sighing and running a hand over her ponytail, "Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't even be here, you know? Everybody else here is really smart, the best programmers and hackers in the world. I just sit there and watch a gps and camera footage from my dad's garage. Fury brought me in because of who my dad is, and who my grandfather was. I can't even climb a stupid wall."

"That's not true!" Hector said defensively sitting beside Joei, "You're really smart."

"You wouldn't have graduated early or aced all your other midterms if you weren't," Carlos agreed, sitting on her other side, "You belong here, Joei. Just as much as everybody else here does."

"You know, I couldn't climb the wall either," James admitted standing in front of her so the Joei had to crane her neck to see his face, "And I failed Freshman Stealth."

"You're just messing with me," Joei laughed.

"Nope. He was overweight, too," Hector nodded.

"And the professor back then wasn't very nice," James shrugged, "He would yell at me that I was going to get myself killed in my first mission every time I couldn't climb. And let's not even mention jumping over stuff."

"Not everybody aces all their classes here, even if it looks that way," said Carlos, "We've failed at least three each. But S.H.I.E.L.D takes potential into account more than anything else. If you're here, then they saw it in you, too. They wouldn't waste a perfectly good spot on somebody who will never become an agent."

"I guess," Joei shrugged, "It's just frustrating that I've been here so many months and haven't adjusted yet."

"You'll figure it out, we promise," said James, holding out his hand, "Now, come on. Let's try to get you halfway up this time."

December 15, 2009

"James!" Joei pounded on the door next to hers, "James! Jimmy open the door!"

"I'm kind of...unpresentable," was his muffled reply from inside, making Joei blush.

"Oh...um. Sorry." she called, "Just come out when you...when you can."

Josephine was pretty sure that her blush was reaching down to her toes by the time he opened the door.

"Everything okay?" he asked, an amused glint in his eye as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. Joei almost glared. Surely he knew she had expected him to be wearing more than a pair of jeans.

"I passed the Stealth final," she smiled, ignoring his exposed skin.

"Seriously?" he smiled.

"A minute and forty-five seconds," she nodded.

"Joei, that's great!" he laughed, pulling her into a bone crushing hug.

"Thanks," he smiled into his shoulder, her arms coming up to return the hug before the clearing of someone's throat made her jump off him so fast she almost tripped backwards.

She turned to see Erin, a knowing smile on her face as she stepped into her own dorm. Joei's blush returned when she realized she'd not only been hugging a shirtless James, but she herself hadn't zipped her S.H.I.E.L.D Academy deep blue windbreaker over the sports bra she had been wearing, and was currently revealing a lot more skin that she was used to outside of her all-female Stealth class.

"So...um..."

"How about a celebratory lunch off-campus?" James asked, ruffling his hair but still looking very shy in his attempt at recovery.

"Since when are we allowed off campus for lunch?"

"We are on finals week," he said, "There's this Italian place not too far form here. You'll love it."

"Yeah, okay," Joei nodded, "Let me just put on something more – ugh – not this."

"Right," it was James' turn to blush, "I'll go...put on a shirt."

Joei retreated to her bedroom and went to the closet for something to wear, feeling significantly more confident than she had a week ago.

* * *

December 20, 2010

"I'm hoooooome for the holidays!" Joei yelled loudly as soon as the door was closed behind her, tossing her bags to one side and beaming at Pepper and Tony.

"Just in time for tree decorating," said Pepper, going to give the younger girl a tight hug.

"Where's Dad?" Joei asked, pulling away only slightly to look around the living room.

"Dad is currently stuck underneath hundreds of fake pine needles," came a groan from the ground where the Christmas tree was halfway put together.

Joei giggled from Pepper's arms, "Don't you have robots to help you do this sort of stuff?"

"I thought I did, until You and Dum-E almost set the thing on fire," said Tony, emerging from underneath the tree and walking over to hug Joei, "Please tell me you have decided that this semester was too much and you're coming back to something closer by."

"Sorry," Joei shrugged, "No such luck, Mr. Man of the Year."

"A dad's got to try. And it's called Person of the Year. As in, the best person in the entire year on the entire planet. No big deal. Did you at least ace all your finals?"

"With flying colors," Joei smiled brightly, giggling again when Tony flicked her nose with a finger.

"Alright. You can either help me build this thing, or get started on that wonderful hot chocolate of yours. Ingredients are on the kitchen counter."

"I've been here five minutes and you're already putting me to work. Some would call that exploitation."

"I call it being thirsty and cold," said Tony, "Please?"

Joei rolled her eyes, "Fine. Want some, Pepper?"

"I could never say no to up of your hot chocolate." said Pepper, hugging Joei again, "It's so good to have you home, sweetie. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for Thanksgiving."

Joei waved it off and said she understood before walking off toward the kitchen, removing her sweater and rolling up her shirt sleeves to get started on the hot chocolate. Something big and new caught the corner of her eye, and she turned to see a rather large blown up poster of Tony's TIME Magazine cover on the wall. She shook her head and laughed. No big deal, indeed.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, and she smiled at the message from James, accompanied by a picture of a very snowy Montana street.

 _Home sweet home. Enjoy your holidays._

Joei in turn went toward one of the large windows and took a picture of the beach and palm trees in the distance.

 _Happy holidays from the sun, the surf, and the water._ _It's so good to be home._

* * *

January 1, 2010

"Please don't make me do this!" Tony begged as Josephine and Pepper practically dragged him onto the back of a plane.

"It's not my fault that you decided to get royally plastered the night before the opening of the biggest event in your career." Joei rolled her eyes, pushing him up the steps.

"It was New Year's Eve," Tony pouted, holding his head as they entered the bright lights of the plane.

"Still, you shouldn't have challenged Hank William Jr. to tequila shots at two in the morning," said Joei, crossing her arms as Tony let himself slide to the floor with his back against the wall, "Put on the normal suit, and the Iron Man suit, and a smile. I will see you down there in a few minutes."

"Are you nervous?" asked Tony, his eyes finally focusing on her in his hungover state.

"A little," Joei admitted, biting her lip and smoothing down the long black dress she was wearing, "I've never worn anything like this before. Not to a public event."

"It's time for the press to see you as more than just some kid. That worked last year when we were trying to distract them from my sleuthing," said Tony, "But this is your first public event since then, and since you went of to college. You look great, kiddo."

"Thanks, Dad. Try to get over that hangover, won't you? You have about twenty minutes." she smiled and ruffled his hair, "I'll see you there."

"Can't wait." he smiled back as she made to leave the plane, "Hey, kiddo?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Knock 'em dead."

"Break a leg, sweetie," Pepper offered.

Joei walked toward the runway and toward Happy, who was holding the door to the limo open.

"Alright, Happy, we've got ten minutes max to be parked out back."

"I'll get you there in five," said Happy.

Joei pulled out the compact from her clutch purse. She almost didn't recognize herself. Sure, she wore a little make up when she was at school, but it had been a while since she pulled out all the fashion stops, but never like this. She'd spent most of her life walking red carpets in cute colored sun dresses or sparkly tulle. Tonight's dress was long and black, with long sleeves to fight the cold of New York. As a plus, Tony had managed to make her a body suit that trapped in warmth and was imperceptible beneath the fabric, except for her left leg which had a slit halfway up her thigh. The make up had also been a huge change from the fresh face and rosy cheeks that she had usually worked. Tonight their usual make up artist had gone for smoky looking eyes with neutral colored lips, and her hair had been pulled back in a loose twist.

"Happy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do I really look okay?"

Happy smiled at her through the mirror, making the last turn into the backstage parking lot of the expo, "You look great, Joei. You look like you're ready to take on all of Stark Industries by yourself and make headlines. Just wait until Joan Rivers comes on tomorrow. You're going to knock her socks off."

Joei laughed, "Thanks, Happy. I just feel so different."

Happy parked and turned in his seat to look at her, "Hey, what's your name?"

"Joei."

"Your full name."

"Josephine Margaret Stark," Joei rolled her eyes but played along, knowing where he was probably going with this. Happy gave, for the most part, the same advice, but it was always good.

"And that's who you will always be," he pointed at her, "It doesn't matter if you look like a million bucks or like you spent five months in hibernation. You're still one heck of a girl. Now get out there and knock them dead."

Joei smiled fondly at Happy. Over the years, he had always been the best at telling her that she was worth everything she had. Spending her first few years in an orphanage that stripped you of who you were and made you feel like you were lucky to have food and water could do severe lasting damage to a kid's self-esteem. Happy Hogan had known that almost since the day she had met him, and had made it a mission in his life to remind Joei that she was worthy.

"Thanks, Happy."

"Any time, kiddo."

Joei stepped out of the limo and was immediately greeted by one of the organizers. He couldn't have been more than thirty years old, and Joei almost towered over him in her glittering high heels. He was holding a clipboard and had

"Miss Stark, this way. I'm Alex. You're on in three minutes. This is Caitlin," he pointed to a very young looking woman in a pinstriped pant suit, a grey coat, and ballet flats, "She'll be your assistant throughout the Expo. She'll be here every night in case we need her for something else, but on days when you present she'll help you with whatever you need."

"I can take your purse if you like, Miss Stark," said the woman.

"Thank you," said Joei, handing over her clutch as they stepped inside a tunnel that would lead them up and backstage, "And call me Joei, please, Caitlin."

Alex turned to her as they reached the end of the tunnel, the sound of a very large crowd muffled by a door.

"The podium is off to the right side of the stage. We were told you already have an ear piece."

Joei nodded, pointing to the ear piece that would allow her to hear the producers and her dad.

"Good. So there will be some music for you to make your grand entrance," said Alex as the speakers began to play some sort of welcome and the crowd got even louder outside, "You will walk up to the podium, the prompter will be in front of you with the speech you sent in. Everything has been timed so that Mr. Stark lands just as you announce him. You're on in one minute."

"Thank you," she said, nodding to Alex before the man walked away, and then turning toward Caitlin, "Are my hair and make up still okay?"

"All good."

"Okay, help me check my dress."

She and Caitlin brushed off a few specs that were on the dress and the door opened.

"That's my queue," said Joei, stepping forward as a recording blasted over the speakers.

"Ladies and gentleman, with you, the heiress of the Stark Family Legacy: Josephine Stark."

Joei smiled and waved once before grabbing the sides of her dress and walking toward the podium. She'd stood in front of a crowd before while her dad spoke, and sometimes she would even put in her two cents on whatever he was talking about of say something cute. But she'd never been up in front of these many people, much less alone. Everybody was screaming, whistling, and clapping. The thunderous echoes died down until it was only a few wolf whistles and "I love yous."

Joei smiled brightly at them all and leaned towards the microphone, allowing her eyes to sweep the crowd less she need the prompter to remind her what to say next.

"Good evening and welcome to all! It's a new year today. A new decade, in fact." she pointed out, her voice echoing over a silent and enthralled crowd. It felt empowering, knowing that they hung onto her every word and were mesmerized by her elegant dress and glittering jewelry, "So it brings me great pleasure to be standing here on this day, to help ring in not just the new year, but the future as well."

She flashed a winning smile, making the crowd applaud once more. Over her comms, she heard Tony in a heaving voice say, "I'm almost there...oh God I'm going to puke again...aaargh...whyyyyy?"

Joei swallowed back the laugh that was on her lips and continued to smile as the crowd died down, "A few years ago, a little girl stood before a very large Arc Reactor that didn't do much except light up and spin. Two beings that, seemingly, possessed no purpose. Two entities without a future. One man changed that."

"I'm at the drop point," Joei heard Tony say through her comm as the crowd cheered once again.

"It is with great honor and pride that I present that man to you today. The one who gave me and that big old metal circle a future. The man who has brought the future to the present!"

"Dropping in three...two...now!" Tony yelled.

"Ladies and gentleman! The man who has made all of this possible!" Joei lifted and arm toward the center of the stage as the first of the fireworks went off, lifting it slightly to point toward the sky "My father, and Stark Industries CEO, TONY STARK!"

The crowd applauded but kept their eyes trianed on the sky as firework after firework went off. Joei looked up with them, scanning the sky until she found a trail of light that was falling rather than rising.

Tony landed with a loud metallic CLANG, right fist hitting the floor along with his left knee. How on earth he was going to keep his black tie suit pressed underneath that many moving parts was a mystery to Joei.

The crowd immediately went crazier than before. Their hands rose, they chanted Tony's name as ACDC blared loudly on the speakers and women dressed in skimpy versions of an Iron Man costume danced in a line. Joei applauded, tempted to roll her eyes at her dad's extravagance.

Iron Man stood, raising his hands to encourage the crowd. Joei stepped back form the podium, allowing it to descend into the stage as a stage hand gave her a cordless microphone. Iron Man turned toward Joei and placed a hand on his faceplate where the mouth would be, blowing his daughter a kiss for the crowd to see. Joei smiled at him and blew a kiss back as the robots that would dismember the suit began to rise out of the stage.

The girls finished their dance as Tony adjusted his black suit, giving off a big finish around Tony before leaving the stage.

"Oh it's good to be back!" Tony declared, turning toward the crowd, "Where is that daughter of mine?"

The crowd cheered again and began to yell out toward Joei.

"Josephine, get over here!" Tony called, "I'm going to need you with me on this."

Joei stepped forward until she was standing next to her father, who held out a hand for her to take, and then raised it for her to spin. Joei actually did roll her eyes this time, but spun around anyway.

"How about a round of applause for this young lady, huh?" Tony winked.

The crowd began to chant Joei's name, to which she dramatically widened her eyes and smiled in amazement. Usually her dramatic reactions were completely acted out, but this time she honestly felt overwhelmed.

"Wow," was all she could say into the mic as a continues stream of "Joei, Joei, Joei" pressed on her eardrums, "Thank you everybody. Let's hear it for this old guy, huh?"

"Well," Tony scoffed, "I'm hardly that old. Am I right?"

The crowd cheered louder again.

"Now, where was I?" Tony asked.

"It's good to be back," Joei reminded.

"Right. It's good to be back!" Tony said, going back to working the crowd, "Did you miss me? I missed you too...Blow something up? I already did that."

Joei laughed along with the crowd and Tony took her hand as he continued, "I'm not saying that the world is enjoying its longest period of uninterrupted peace because of me."

Joei laughed and pretended to roll her eyes again. This Tony was the guy who knew how to work a crowd. If she was honest, he was kind of an asshole, but it was all part of keeping up an image. She had been the cute, quirky, sweet talking heiress for years. Now she was going to be the funny, charasmatic, relatable heiress who was also smart and centered enough to inherit an empire. Tony had been the sarcastic, self-centered rich guy who made weapons. Now he was the sarcastic, self-centered rich guy who moonlighted as a superhero.

"I'm not saying that from the ashes of captivity, never has a greater Phoenix metaphor been personified in human history," Tony let go of her hand to hold out his arms. Joei giggled and clapped again, trying to amplify that crowd's reactions, "I'm not saying that Uncle Sam can kick back on a lawn chair, sipping on an ice tea, because I haven't come across anyone who is man enough to go toe to toe with me on my best day!"

"Really?" Joei pitched in, "Are we here to talk about you, or the Stark Expo."

"I am talking about the Stark Expo." Tony said in a 'duh' voice.

"Nooo...you're talking about how you're a badass. I already did that while you were flying around over us."

"But you missed some points."

"I summarized, Dad," Joei lifted an eyebrow as the crowd continued to laugh at their banter, "We're here to talk about the Expo, remember? And the future? Remember that?"

"Right. Right," Tony nodded.

"We love you, Tony!" a woman yelled from the crowd.

"Please, please," Tony waved, "It's not about me. My daughter just said so. It's not about you, either. It's not even about us. It's about legacy."

Most of the crowd couldn't tell the difference, or they might have thought that Tony's sudden change in demeanor was just his way of introducing a much more serious part of the show. But Joei knew him better than that. The seriousness was coldness. It was a wall that he put up whenever he spoke about the more difficult points in his past. Joei stepped forward to take his hand again.

"Thanks, kiddo," Tony murmured, kissing the top of her head in a moment that only looked acted out, but was probably the most sincere gesture they'd had all night, "Like I was saying...it's about what we leave behind, for future generations like the one standing next to me."

"And that's why for the next year," Joei continued, "and for the first time since 1974, the best and brightest men and women of nations and corporations the world over will pool their resources, share their collective vision, to leave behind...say it with me, Dad..."

"A brighter future!" they finished together.

"It's not about us," Tony continued over the cheers, "Therefore what I am saying, if I am saying anything, is WELCOME BACK! To the Stark Expo!"

The crowd rose up once again, and Tony and Joei raised their joined hands in salute for a moment.

"And now, seeing as my daughter was kind enough to give me such a grand entrance, it appears to be my turn. Making a special guest appearance from the great beyond, to tell you what it's all about, please welcome, MY father, Howard."

Tony held out an arm for Joei to take and they stepped back stage for the video to play.

"Oh my God, you are doing amazing!" Tony hugged Joei, a smile radiating brightly off his face as soon as they were out of sight of the crowd, "They're eating out of the palm of your hand, kiddo."

"Thanks," Joei smiled, "But most of their cheering was because of you."

"But the laughs came from you. You did great, kid. You deserve a gift for this. Pick anything. A fancy camera, new car? You name it."

Joei sighed, "I don't need you to get me anything, Dad. I'm just glad to be home."

"We're in New York." Tony pointed out.

"Home is wherever you are, Dad," Joei smiled, hugging him again. When she pulled away, Tony's expression had become guarded agaian, "Is everyhting okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. Peachy. Just...listening to Howard..."

"Right. Well, you did great," said Joei, "And I'm sure you'll give them a great finish. I'm going to go change into some flats and something warmer. The body suit is great and all, but it's still freezing out here."

"Yeah, you go do that."

Joei walked off as her dad went to fish something out of his suit pocket, probably his cell phone.

She scanned the backstage for Caitlin and found her quickly enough.

"Caitlin, did my change of clothes get here okay?" she asked the assistant.

"Yes, Joei. They're in you and Mr. Stark's dressing room. This way."

Joei hadn't had much of a chance to oversee the logistics of the Expo sicne she'd been at school, but the entire backstage was incredibly large. Down a hallway that was bustling with stage hands and producers, Caitlin took her to a door marked Stark, unlocking it and showing her in. the dressing room was one large room with two make up and hair stations on either side, with a clothing rack beside each one that contained changes of clothes for her and her dad respectably. There were also two doors to what must have been two separate bathrooms/changing rooms, two televisions, and a table laden with water bottles, coffee, and snacks.

"Thank God," said Joei. Kicking off her shoes and walking toward the table to grab a hot dog, "I'm starving."

Caitlin closed the door behind them and locked it, taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs as Joei plopped herself on the couch with her feet up.

"Help yourself if you're hungry, Caitlin."

"Thank you, Miss Stark, but I would actually like to speak to you first."

"Ooookay," said Joei confusedly, swinging her feet back tot he ground and putting the food aside, "What's up?"

"I was supposed to inform you as soon as possible, but you got here with very little time to spare..."

"You're not holding me hostage in here, are you?"

"No! Of course not. That's not what...I mean I'm not..."

"If you aren't holding me hostage then I'm sure whatever it is won't bother me that much," said Joei, "What is it, Caitlin?"

"I'm not really an assistant. I mean, I am...but I don't work for Alex. I work for Nick Fury." said the woman, holding up a badge with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo clearly etched on it and an identification that showed she was a Level 2 Agent.

Joei was silent for a moment, staring at the woman who couldn't be more than twenty years old, "So you're a S.H.I.E.L.D agent? You're pretty young. How is it you've already graduated?"

"I'm twenty-one. I just graduated last semester. Agent Coulson was my SO..."

"SO?"

"Superior Officer," Caitlin explained, "You get one around sophomore of junior year depending on your study plan. And he recommended me for the job."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"To assist you in anything you might need like a real assistant. To cover for you if need be, to report any suspicious activity around you or the Expo, and to help you avoid anybody who needs to be avoided. I'm specialized in stealth."

Joei groaned, "I bet you climbed the stupid rock wall on your first try."

"Well, yes, but most of the students at Ops do...it's sort of out thing. We take three times as many physical and combat classes as any of the other two branches."

"Well, it's nice to know I can count on you for personal stuff and S.H.I.E.L.D stuff," said Joei, "But I'm going to have to get in contact with Coulson just to make sure...as a safety measure."

"Of course."

Before Joei could finish writing the test to Coulson, her phone rang with a message from the Agent in question.

 _By now you'll have met Caitlin. She's with us. Consider her a PA, Body Guard, and maybe a bit of a baby sitter, too. Just a precaution, really. Barton's out and can't keep an eye on you and Tony. Trust Caitlin. She's a newbie, but she's as good as they come...p.s. she gives a mean temple rub._

"Well, it looks like Agent Coulson beat me to it," said Joei, handing Caitlin her phone so the other girl could read the text. "Thanks, Caitlin. I'm sure it will be a pleasure spending time with you. But if I have to keep you by my side all the time, I don't think pretending you're with the Expo will help. I'm not set to come here every day, just on a few. So how about we wait here until my dad comes back, and I'll tell him that I want you to be my Personal Assistant for everything whenever i'm not at school."

"Sounds like a plan." Caitlin nodded.

"Great. In the meantime, will you help me get out of this dress? I feel like a tightly wrapped burrito."

* * *

 **I finally got to write Dad!Tony and CrowdWorker!Joei and it makes me so damn happy. I've got half of chapter 5 already written and should be finished within the next couple of days, even if it means getting no sleep.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Second update and we have officially reached Iron Man 2 territory! Thank you again for all the follows and favorites. Please review to let me know how I'm doing! Pretty pretty pretty please and thank you.**

 ** _Disclaimer: If Marvel was mine, I would have made MYSELF Tony's daughter. Also *SPOILER ALERT* *Not Really* Bucky would've become Tony's new bff and Steve would've been jealous until he realized Buck was just being his wingman and helping Tony fall more in love with Steve._**

* * *

January 4, 2010

"Okay so this is the Senate Armed Service Commitee...You're not going to be able to joke your way out of this one, Dad," said Joei as they walked down the hallway.

"You sure? Because you know how much your old man likes a good challenge." said Tony, straightening out his tie.

"Dad," Joei warned.

"Josephine, nothing is going to happen to me or to the suit. They can't take the Iron Man. I am the Iron Man. As a person, the U.S. Government is not able to declare me their property."

"I still think you need a lawyer," said Pepper, beginning to pull her phone from her purse, "We can still call..."

"No. No lawyer, Pepper. I got this. What time is it?"

"Nine on the dot," Caitlin answered from next to Joei.

"I'll wait three minutes and then walk in. You girls go ahead." said Tony, motioning toward the door, "And don't call a lawyer."

The three equally exasperated women walked into the courtroom together, receiving various glances in their direction.

When Tony finally entered the courtroom, he was five minutes late and greeted with murmuring and head shaking. Pepper and Joei cast a glance at each other, both looking upward at the same time to beg the heavens for good fortune.

The first part of the hearing was slow and boring. Papers were read, Tony was reminded why he was there, and the session began. After half an hour, they had to stop in order to sort through some "evidence" that was apparently out of order. Tony took this time to turn around and make signs and mouth things at Pepper and Joei, who either chose to ignore him or gave him short answers.

Senator Stern banged his gavel, making Pepper sign at Tony to turn around and pay attention.

"Mr. Stark, can we pick up now where we left off? Mr. Stark, please!"

"Yes dear?"

Some of the people in the court room actually laughed. Joei rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Please don't encourage him."

"Could I have your attention?" said Stern.

"Absolutely."

"Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?"

"I do not."

"You do not?"

"I do not. Well, it depends on how you define the word weapon."

"Should have called a lawyer," Joei whispered, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"The Iron Man weapon," said Stern, leaning back in his big fancy chair like he was the damn Godfather.

"My device does not fit that description."

"Well how would you describe it?"

"I would describe it by defining it as what it is, Senator."

Pepper, Joei, and Caitlin all leaned forward slightly, making a show of emphasizing whatever Tony was about to say.

"As?"

"Ugh, it's a...it's a high tech prosthesis."

Joei and Pepper visibly sighed as the rest of the room chuckled.

"That is...that is actually the most accurate description I could make of it."

"It's a weapon. It's a weapon, Mr. Stark. I hate to inform you..."

The rest of Stern's argument was drowned out by Tony.

"Please, if your priority was actually the well being of the American..."

"The priority is to get the Iron Man weapon turned over to the people of the United States of America."

"What people?" Joei huffed in a whisper, pulling at the hem of her blazer, "You?"

"Well, you can forget it." said Tony, making the room go deadly quiet save for camera flashes, "I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself, which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution depending what state you're in. Can't have it."

The crowd laughed again, and Joei, despite still being upset with Tony's lack of seriousness, began to think that this might actually work.

"Well," Stern stuttered, "I'm no expert."

"In prostitution? Of course not, you're a Senator. Come on."

"Too far," Caitlin whispered, to which Joei nodded.

Tony turned to look at Pepper, who was livid, and then to Joei, who looked more than a little disappointed. He made a questioning expression, to which both women shook their heads.

"I'm not an expert in weapons," continued Stern, fidgeting with his tie, "But we have somebody here who is an expert on weapons. I would now like to call Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor."

Tony's head immediately shot upward and Joei snorted, making Pepper give her a scolding look and a pat on the knee so that Joei turned the snort into a cough.

"Let the record reflect that I observe Mr. Hammer entering the chamber and I am wondering if there will be any actual expert that will also be in attendance."

Joei almost got up and left the room at that moment, but instead clutched tightly to the side of her chair. This was not going to get any better.

Hammer began his usual attempt at charm which sounded faker than a twenty dollar Chanel purse. And then he just had to get up and say the magic words to Tony.

"Your dad! Howard Stark. Really a father to us all..."

Tony pulled a face that was mirrored by Joei.

"Please tell me you brought a gun," Joei whispered as quietly as possible to Caitlin.

"No, of course not."

"Then maybe I'll just strangle this guy," Joei answered as Hammer kept talking, her hands growing tighter around the edge of the chair until her knuckles were white.

"We live in a world full of grave threats, threats that Mr. Stark will not always be able to foresee. Thank you," Hammer ended by looking directly into Joei's eyes, "God Bless Iron Man, God Bless America."

If it weren't for both Pepper and Caitlin's hands falling over her own in the same instant, Josephine would have flown out of her chair and done bodily harm to Justin Hammer right then. She hated that man more than anything she ever thought she would.

As Hammer took a seat again, another name was called that set cameras flashing once again.

"Rhodey?" Joei asked in the same moment as Tony, who stood and walked towards Rhodes.

"Hey, buddy. Wasn't expecting to see you here." Tony stopped him just next to Pepper and Joei so that they could hear the exchange.

"Look, it's me. I'm here. Deal with it. It's in the bottle."

"It's just..."

"Drop it."

"Alright."

Joei slumped back in her chair, certain that she was the last person the cameras would be pointing to at this moment.

Rhodey was asked to read a passage from his report on the Iron Man that was taken completely out of context, and it was more than obvious that Senator Stern was doing his best to make it sound like Rhodey was in favor of taking the suit from Tony.

"Asshole," Joei muttered under her breath, which Pepper seemingly chose to ignore.

Images were then shown of what was supposedly attempts of copies of suits. Joei, who was more interested in what her dad was doing and Rhodey was saying than whatever was in the satellite images, was one of the few people to notice Tony pull out his futuristic looking phone and begin to search for something. She nudged Pepper's just as Tony held up the phone and synced it to the screen, which soon lit up with the words WELCOME, MR. STARK.

"If you'll direct your attention to said screens," said Tony, "I believe that's North Korea."

A rather large and ridiculous looking robot showed up on the screen, quickly malfunctioning. Rhodey looked like he was ready to reach across the table and punch Tony in the face.

"Can you turn that off?" said Stern.

"Iran," said Tony, showing new footage of another failed attempt. Justin Hammer was doing his best to turn off or cover the screen, "No grave immediate threat here... Is that Justin Hammer?!"

"And the Hammer logo!" Joei called, unable to hold in her commentary any longer upon seeing the large logo for Hammer Tec in the corner of the screen.

"How did Hammer get in the video? Justin, you're on TV, pull yourself together." Tony said sarcastically.

By now Rhodey looked more like he was trying to hold in a large bout of laughter, and he turned inconspicuously toward Joei and winked, who giggled lightly and returned the wink as Hammer's copy cat Iron Man started to malfunction and Hammer himself unplugged the television.

"Yeah, I'd say most countries are five to ten years away, Hammer Industries twenty." said Tony as chaos began to spread among the committee.

"I'd like to point out that that test pilot survived." Hammer said into the microphone.

"I think we're done with the point that he's making," said Stern, now standing up and stuttering more than ever.

"The point is, ugh, you're welcome," said Tony.

"Why?"

"Because I'm your nuclear deterrent." said Tony, becoming serious once again, "It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property, you can't have it. But I did you a big favor," he stood, "I have successfully privatized world peace."

The entire room stood up to applaud Tony, except for Pepper and Joei, who were unsure of whether to laugh, cry, or continue to be furious.

When they finally made it out of the court room with Rhodey behind them, Tony was standing against a wall, shaking hands with reporters and making snarky comments.

When they were all gone, Joei walked up to her dad and crossed her arms, "You're ridiculous."

"What? I won, didn't I?"

"Doesn't make you any less ridiculous," said Pepper, also crossing her arms.

"Don't look at me," Caitlin shrugged when Tony turned toward her, "I'm new here."

"Come on girls, Rhodes. Time for lunch. My treat."

* * *

January 5, 2010

"Josephine, I need you to come with me. I am about to ruthlessly murder your father and I need you to lock me up and keep me from escaping while you call the police," said Pepper as she walked through the front door and into the mansion's living room.

Joei looked up from the TV and got up to follow Pepper toward the workshop.

"Um, hello to you, too, Pep," she said, struggling to keep up with Pepper's hurried steps after having sat in a crosslegged position for so long, "What did he do now?"

"He sold my art collection," Pepper growled, continued by a dry cough.

"Oh." Joei stopped in her tracks. Pepper had taken years to hunt down that art collection, and to make sure it was kept in perfect state. She loved those paintings like they were her own child.

"Come on. You've got to at least hold me back from punching him." said Pepper, making Joei hurry after her once more.

"Is this a joke?" Pepper asked in her best even voice as they entered the workshop.

"Girls in my lab! Girls. In. My lab. This is strictly a no girl visiting hour." said Tony, taking a sip of the disgusting looking black concoction that he had suddenly taken a liking to.

"What are you thinking?" asked Pepper, her voice sounding stuffy again.

"I'm think that I am busy, and that you're angry about something," said Tony, getting up from his desk. "Do you have the sniffles? I don't want to get sick."

"Did you just donate our entire modern art collection to the...to the..."

"Boy Scouts of America." finished Tony, trashing a holographic representation of a new suit.

"Boy Scouts of America?" Joei repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, it is a worthwhile organization," said Tony, moving through his holograms while Pepper and Joei followed close behind, "I didn't physically check the crates, but yes. And it's not our collection, it's my collection. No offense."

"That was so offensive," Joei whispered.

"No, you know what? I think I'm actually entitled to say 'our collection' considering the time that I put in over ten years curating that. You know there's only about eight thousand and eleven things that I really need to talk to you about."

Joei had learned that it was best to stay out of these kinds of arguments and instead watch them unfold, so she leaned back against one of the cars and crossed her arms, listening to Pepper berate Tony's lack of responsibility while Tony berated his robots.

"The Expo is a gigantic waste of time," said Pepper suddenly, making Joei raise an eyebrow.

"I need you to wear a surgical mask until you're feeling better, is that okay?" said Tony as Pepper coughed. Her cold was probably due to all the stress Joei's dad was putting her under.

"That's rude." said Pepper, following Tony again. Joei straightened and began to trail behind them once more.

"There's nothing more important to me than the Expo. It's my primary concern, I don't know why you're..."

"The Expo is your ego gone crazy!" said Pepper.

"Is it, really?" Tony asked, directing his question at Joei.

"Well," Joei sighed, "You did dress up twenty girls as sexy female versions of you and then take sole responsibility for world peace. Twice. On national television."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't ask you anything," Tony pointed at her, making Joei roll her eyes. He was acting more out of hand than he had in a long time. In fact, since he'd come back from captivity, Joei couldn't remember him acting this childish or irresponsible until now.

"Wow, look at that," said Tony, holding up an image of Iron Man in red and blue, "That's modern art. That's going up."

"Ego," Joei sang.

"You have got to be kidding." said Pepper, as Tony walked toward the bar area of the lab and they continued arguing about the company's stock, "Oh no no no no, you are not taking down the Barnett Newman and hanging that up!"

"I'm just replacing it," said Tony, climbing onto the counter.

"My point is, we have already awarded contracts to the windfarm people..."

"Don't say windfarm, I'm already feleing gassy."

"And to the plastic plantation trees which was your idea, by the way."

"Josephine's idea, actually."

"What? I just said we should plant more trees!" said Joei, "I never said anything about making synthetic trees out of recycled plastic..."

"That reduce CO2 at twice the rate as regular trees," said Tony.

Pepper continued down her list of things that needed to get done at Stark.

"It's boring, boring!" Tony finally managed to speak over Pepper, "I'm giving you a boring order. You do it."

Pepper looked about ready to actually slap Tony. "I do what?"

"Excellent idea, I just figured this out," said Tony, "You run the company."

"That's kind of what she already does, Dad," Joei huffed.

"I'm trying to run the company. You will not give me the information that I need..." siad Pepper as Tony spoke at the same time.

"Stop trying to run the company, I am asking you to physically do it..."

"...in order to actually run it..."

"...I need you to do it..."

"I am trying to do it!"

"You're not listening to me!"

"No you're not listening to me!"

"Nobody has listened to anybody since we walked in here," Joei mumbled, looking at her nails.

"I'm trying to make you CEO! Why won't you let me?"

Pepper and Joei's heads snapped up to Tony's face and Joei had to take a step forward.

"Have you been drinking?" Pepper asked in shock.

"He's used to drinking, this is beyond drinking level" said Joei, "Dad, are you high?"

"Wha...no, I am not high! I've been drinking chlorophyl." said Tony before taking Pepper by the shoulders, "I hereby irrevicably appoint you Chairman and CEO of Stark Industries, effective immediately. With the condition, of course, that Josephine Margaret Stark become your eventual successor at the time that either she or I decide appropriate."

The room was silent, with both women staring at Tony in open-mouthed disbelief.

"What just happened?" Joei asked as Tony stepped away from them, receiving no answer in return.

"I've actually given this a fair amount of thought, believe it or not," said Tony, walking towards Butterfingers who was holding a bottle of champagne and three glasses, "I did a bit of headhunting, so to speak. Trying to figure out who a worthy successor would be, at least until Joei is ready. And then I realized, it's you. It's always been you. I thought there would be a legal issue, but actually I'm capable of appointing my successor."

Joei and Pepper both sat down and continued to stare at Tony in awe. Pepper looked like she might cry. Joei's surprise was beginning to die down. Tony had lost interest in the legal and logistical aspects of SI quite a long time ago, and had always liked to focus more on pitching ideas and creating things. Pepper had always taken care of the "boring stuff" anyway. If anybody knew how to run this company, it was her.

"Congratulations," he said to Pepper, holding out the two glasses for Joei and Pepper to take.

"I don't know what to think," said Pepper.

"Don't think, just drink it," said Tony. They clinked glasses and sipped, Pepper letting out an emotional laugh.

"Jarvis, you did record all of that right?" asked Joei.

"Um...no," said Tony, "J is...taking a nap. But we'll figure out all that official stuff later...or Pepper will. Don't get drunk off this stuff, kiddo. It's a special occasion, you get one sip."

* * *

January 15, 2010

"Miss Stark, your assistant is requesting permission to enter your bedroom," said Jarvis as Joei pulled her hair back into a ponytail.

"Let her in, Jarvis."

The door opened and Caitlin walked in wearing the usual black skinny jeans, boots, t-shirt and blazer that made up her wardrobe. As a CEO's assistant, Pepper had always worn business formalwear. Joei had decided to keep the socialite image going, so her assistant would have to match her own much more laid back look.

"Good morning, Miss Stark."

"Good morning, Caitlin," said Joei, grabbing her phone and turning Jarvis off, a pleasant new clearance level that Tony had surprised her with upon her return, saying that he trusted her and knew that she deserved some privacy. Joei had felt guilty about it then, but now it was a big relief to be able to speak to Caitlin in the house. Caitlin calling her Miss Stark instead of Joei was the codeword, meaning that whatever Caitlin was about to say had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"What's up?"

"I was asked to give you this," said Caitlin, holding out a plain manila folder, "It's classified. Your eyes only."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Teen Vogue called. They want you to be on their cover for next month's issue. The editor said that your dress at the Opening Ceremony and what you wore to your dad's hearing turned so many heads that the hospitals are overrun with cases of whiplash."

Joei snickered, turning on the TV to find the entertainment segment of the news. "Nice. Tell them yes. But it's got to be before I head back to school. Hey, look, we're on TV."

"Joei Stark hasn't been out and about in public since leaving for college, but it seems like life on campus is doing her, and her wardrobe, a lot of good," said one of the reporters.

"She looks a lot better than this time last year, that's for sure."

"I thought my dad was dead this time last year, asshole," Joei snorted, but continued to watch as pictured of her walking down the streets of Malibu two days ago while on a shopping trip passed by on the screen.

"I honestly love this new look on her." said the first reporter, "She looks relaxed and young, but she's also making a statement that says Joei Stark is no longer just America's sweetheart. She's said herself in recent interviews that she is focusing on her studies and her future, which, of course includes the future of Stark Industries. She's growing up and her wardrobe is growing up with her."

"I agree with you one hundred percent," said the other reporter, before changing directions, "Can we also take a look at that assistant? I mean, you can barely see her face with the sunhat and the glasses, but look at that. The Starks have been known to keep very well dressed people around them, but this girl knocks it out of the park. If Josephine Stark picked out this girl's clothes along with her own, I think we can expect her to become one heck of a fashion icon in the years to come."

"Fashion icon, huh?" Joei smiled at Caitlin, "Add that to the list right below International Super Spy. I'm heading to the gym if you want to catch me there, just follow the hall to the right."

Caitlin was counting off Joei's sit-ups when Tony and Happy entered the gym.

"I didn't even think you knew where this place was," said Tony.

"Well, the threat of the freshman fifteen," Joei grunted as she did another sit-up, "Has turned me into a health nut."

"You scrounged down half a pizza last night," said Happy.

"Fine. An exercise nut." said Joei.

"That's your final set completed," said Caitlin, helping her stand.

"You even bought workout clothes," said Tony, taking a sip of his weird black liquid, "I'm impressed."

"Dad, that stuff is so gross. What's even in that?"

"It's a natural antioxidant."

"Nothing that color could possibly be natural. That better not have dangerous amounts of caffeine and alcohol in it."

"Nope. It just keeps your old man from rusting," said Tony, "In case you haven't noticed, there's a piece of metal inside my chest."

"Right," said Joei, still not sure if she should believe him, but still grossed out my watching him swish the weird black stuff around in his mouth before swallowing.

Ten minutes later Tony had started up his Disco Workout playlist and was boxing with Tony, while Joei and Caitlin cycled on the stationary bikes.

"My legs are going to fall off."

"Bring resistance up to 5."

"That doesn't solve my issue."

"You're legs will get so tired they'll be numb and you won't feel it anymore," said Caitlin dryly. "Come on. Push through."

"I hate you."

"I'm your favorite person in this house, now keep going!"

"Uuuugh," Joei complained, but brought up the resistance on her bike and pushed herself harder. Next semester she would climb whatever wall, rope, or building they made her climb without embarrassing herself in front of the entire class.

"Tony! The notary is here!" Pepper called as she entered the gym, "Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork!"

Tony and Happy argued about Tony's boxing for a moment before stopping and looking toward the door. Joei rolled her eyes and looked to the door, figuring that the notary was probably a woman. She quickly did a double take and gasped at the familiar red hair and serious expression.

"Holy shit," she hissed, making Caitlin turn back to her as Happy and Tony continued their fighting.

"What?"

"That's the Black Widow," Joei whispered as Romanoff ignored them and walked over to Pepper with a file in her hand.

"No way," Caitlin allowed herself to stare wide eyed for just one moment before Tony and Happy stopped fighting and directed their attention to the two redheads.

"What's your name, lady?" asked Tony.

"Rushman. Natalie Rushman."

"Front and center. Come in to the church."

"Oh great," Joei muttered at Caitlin as they stepped of the bikes and went to grab their water bottles, "He's flirting with her and he's going to get himself killed."

"If it pleases the court, which it does," Tony answered Pepper's arguing.

"It's not a problem," said Rushman with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, he's very eccentric."

"She's flirting back," Caitlin whispered as Romanoff...Rushman...entered the boxing ring and looked upward at Tony with a small smile and big eyes. "He's definitely going to die."

"Hey, Dad?" Joei called.

"Yeah?" Tony asked, still not removing his eyes from Agent Romanoff.

"Can you wait until your daughter is not in the room to do that." she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Tony snapped out of it with a shake of his head and turned to Happy, "Give her a lesson, alright?" before stepping out of the ring and heading towards Pepper.

"Family conference," said Pepper, "Get over here, girls."

"I need a new assistant," Tony was saying.

"Yes, and I have three potential candidates ready to meet you."

"I don't have time to meet. I need someone now. I feel like it's her."

"No, it's not," said Pepper.

"Joei, any opinions?" asked Tony.

Any other time she would have agreed with Pepper, if only out of spoiled-child jealousy and the disdain she felt for her dad's overt flirtatiousness. But Romanoff had mentioned being on a mission. If she'd found a way to make it onto Tony Stark's radar when he was in need of a new assistant, it was probably for a reason.

So Joei shrugged, "She's fine, I guess. Just don't sleep with her."

"That's it?"

"Yep." she nodded, "I'm getting my nails done later. Gotta go shower. Have fun signing over the company. Pepper, enjoy your new job. Bye, guys."

Joei entered her room and once again turned Jarvis off, pulling out the folder that Caitlin had given her earlier. The first page was a cover with the word CLASSIFIED written in big red letters, the header marked "Debriefing: January 15, 2010. Rocinha, Brazil."

 _On the evening of January 13, 2010, a male citizen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin consumed a Pingo Doce guarana soda beverage in his home, resulting in gamma sickness. Major Kathleen Sparr of the US Army's Biotech Enhancement Project, aide to General Thaddeaus Ross, uncovered the possible link between the incident and one_ _Dr._ _Robert_ _Bruce Banner. After some investigations, General Ross ordered a team of specialists to hunt down and capture Banner, led by Special Ops expert Emil Blonsky._

 _A_ _S.H.I.E.L.D_ _Prevention and Civilian Extraction team made their way to Rocinha minutes behind General Ross' men, but by the time of their arrival, Dr. Banner had seamingly evaded capture and disappeared. S.H.I.E.L.D did not engage or make themselves known to U.S. Army elements._

 _Agent Maria Hill took a single-man drone to follow Dr. Banner, who had transformed into his alternative self. Agent Hill describes this alternative self as inhumanly large, with green skin, and extra human strength that allowed the creature to run and jump abnormally large distances and speeds. After losing track of the creature within the jungle, Agent Hill returned to her post. There is reason to believe that Dr. Banner was heading in the direction of Guatemala._

 _Signed:_

 _Lt. Maria Hill, Level 9 S.H.I.E.L.D Second-In-Command_

"Oh boy."


	6. Chapter 6

**I want to say thank you to all of the people who have favorited and followed this story! I love Joei and I love the character she's becoming. With the MCU already so far ahead of this story, I can't wait for all of you to see how she reacts to everything else that is going to happen later on.**

 **Until then, I hope you enjoy this chapter,and please remember to review!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own rights nor make profit off the use of Marvel's characters or storylines.**_

* * *

January 26, 2010

Joei entered the ballroom of the Hotel De Paris in Monaco with Caitlin by her side. A dozen photographers had made her stop to take her picture in the pale blue dress and white sun hat that Pepper had helped her pick out. They'd stopped to ask who she was wearing, and also where she got her style inspiration from. Joei had smiled and answered questions about the idea of creating her own fashion line with a laugh and an indirect answer.

"There's your dad," Caitlin pointed toward the corner of the room where he was standing with Pepper.

"And Agent Romanoff." said Joei, not surprised, walking toward her dad and Pepper as they made their way to the bar.

"Do they always argue like that?" asked Caitlin, watching Mr. stark and Miss Potts with an amused smile.

"Yes. Always. Do me a favor, go offer Miss Rushman your help. Try to figure out what her game is." said Joei.

"Right away, Miss Stark," Caitlin nodded with a smile and a wink.

Joei reached Tony and Pepper almost at the same time that Justin Hammer did so.

"You're not the only rich guy here with a fancy car," Hammer was saying.

Joei arrived and Hammer held out his hand, which Joei took with a not so nice smile.

"Miss Stark, you look quite lovely," said Hammer, raising her hand halfway to his mouth before Joei pulled it away in disgust.

Until that moment Tony had refused to look at Hammer, but he whipped around and looked ready to pounce on him before Hammer spoke again.

"You know Christine Everheart from Vanity Fair, right? Do you know each other?"

"Hi," Pepper faked a smile at the woman. Of course they knew and remembered Christine very well. Joei refused to fake a smile at the reporter. Anybody who ever insulted Pepper was, in her opinions, the worst kind of person in existence.

"Yes," said Tony, "Yes, roughly."

"BTW," said Hammer, "Big story. The new CEO of Stark Industries."

"I know, I know, congratulations. My editor will kill me if I don't grab a quote for our powerful women issue. Can I?"

"Oh," said Pepper, "Sure."

"Oh, um, she's actually doing a big spread on me for Vanity Fair," said Hammer.

"Really? Well she did quite a spread on Tony last year."

"She wrote a story too," Joei added dryly, turning to the bartender to ask for a mineral water while Pepper excused herself to the bathroom and Christine tried to get a story from Tony and Hammer. Josephine was beginning to take a sip of her drink when her dad called her over to Hammer's table.

"I was about to enjoy the view of a very cute waiter." said Joei, "Is this important?"

"Well...it has to do with our friend Justin here," said Tony.

"So then not so important." Joei deadpanned.

"He wants a slot at the Expo."

"A slot at..." Joei snorted and almost burst out laughing in front of everyone in the ballroom, "Yeah. Okay. If you invent something that works, I'll pencil in a slot for you."

"She's kidding," said Hammer when Christine laughed, "I actually have a slot this year."

"Mr. Stark and Miss Stark, your corner table is ready."

"Thank you, Natalie."

"Hammer needs a slot, Christine."

The group retreated to their table in the corner, Pepper joining them soon after so they could enjoy drinks and lunch. Joei and Natalie were the first to finish, prompting Joei to speak up.

"Natalie, would you mind accompanying me to the bathroom while the others finish up here?"

"Not at all," said Natalie, "Excuse us."

When they were safely in the bathroom, Joei checked under all the stall doors before locking the main door.

"So...assistant? What's up with that?"

Romanoff's demeanor had changed completely in that moment. She crossed her arms over her chest and her expression and body language changed her into the woman that Joei had met in her dorm room, even if she was wearing a hot pink dress.

"Avengers evaluation." said Romanoff, "Fury figured that an evaluation on your behalf might not be as objective."

"Touche. Any chance you can tell me how he's doing?"

"Nope." Romanoff smirked.

"Didn't think so," Joei laughed, "Well, at least I know Pepper's replacement isn't incompetent. Any news on the others?"

Romanoff shook her head, "All I know is that I'm here to evaluate your father. I know who else is on the list, but I don't get reports on them. Barton told me to send his greetings, though."

"Return them for me whenever you talk to him. Is he still on his mission?"

"No. He's on vacation."

"I didn't think agents got vacations."

"We're government workers. It's a right."

"Right." Joei nodded. The silence stretched on for a few more seconds until Joei spoke up again, "This is starting to get awkward, so I'm going to pee and then we can leave."

Romanoff nodded and Josephine walked into one of the stalls while the agent went to unlock the main door.

As they exited the bathroom, everybody had settled in to watch the race.

"Where's Dad?" Joei asked as she approached Pepper at their table.

"Probably with Natalie." Pepper answered, trying to sound like she couldn't care less.

"Virginia Potts, are you jealous?" Joei whispered.

"That's ridiculous." Pepper answered dryly.

"No, being jealous of your replacement after you got the biggest promotion of all time is ridiculous," Joei crossed her arms, "Or is it personal?"

Pepper didn't answer, opting to take a sip of her martini.

"If it's any consolation, he'll probably drop her within a couple of weeks," said Joei, instantly feeling bad for lying to Pepper, "I don't like her much, either. She looks untrustworthy."

"When you and Caitlin leave, she'll probably be at the mansion all the time and she'll be the only link to communicate with Tony." Pepper pouted slightly.

Joei laughed again, "Pepper Potts, Petty CEO. I like it. Now stop worrying for a few minutes and watch this race with me."

Pepper scowled at the screens for the next few minutes, while Joei kept turning her head about the ballroom every minute or so in search of her dad. She spotted Romanoff twice, but Tony was never with her. Hammer and Everheart were at the bar again, but Tony wasn't bothering them, either. Caitlin was casually sitting at the bar, pretending to people watch. Joei figured she was scouting their surroundings, looking for any possible threats.

"Oh no," Pepper muttered under her breath, grabbing hold of Joei's arm, "Look."

Joei looked up at the TV screen and her mouth shot open.

"What the hell is he doing?" she asked through her teeth, trying not to look surprised.

"Natalie! Natalie!" Pepper motioned for Romanoff desperately.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

"Did you know about this?"

"Um, no," Natalie shook her head, looking sincerely surprised.

"This can't happen," said Joei forcefully as Caitlin approached him.

"Where's Happy?"

"I don't-"

"Go find him," said Pepper, "I need the suitcase and then we need to leave."

"I'll go in my car. Catch up to us if you can," Joei stood, flinging her napkin onto the table, "I can't believe this. Of all the stupid things to do!"

"Are you missing something, Miss Stark?"

Joei rolled her eyes and turned a fake smile toward Hammer, "Yes, Justin. I'm on my way to go find it right now. If I happen to find your class and self-respect while I'm at it, I'll be sure to send them your way."

With that, she hurriedly exited the room and made her way back outside, trying to look calm and collected in front of the cameras but ignoring them all the same. She handed the keys to the valet and tapped her fingers against her purse until the car was back.

"I'm driving," said Joei, climbing into the deep red Cadillac and hitting the gas before Caitlin could buckle her seat belt, "Here. Plug this in."

Caitlin took the flash drive handed to her and plugged it into the car's stereo. The screen lit up with the Stark Industries logo followed by the word's 'Welcome, Miss Stark.'

"Hello, Miss Stark."

"Hey, Friday. Pull up live coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix." said Joei, flinging off the ridiculous sun hat.

"Yes, Miss Stark."

The screen pulled up an image of the drivers being settled into their cars, including Tony in Stark Industries' blue and white gem.

"I cannot believe him!" Joei screeched, running through a yellow light just a second before it went red. "I think I can sincerely say this is the most idiotic thing he has ever done!"

"Joei," said Caitlin, holding onto the dashboard as they rounded a sharp turn, "I know you're mad, but I would really like to make it to my twenty-second birthday. Please don't kill us."

"I'm going to kill HIM is who I'm going to kill!" yelled Joei, but let off on the gas anyway. The screen showed the cars starting to move out, "Look at him! There he goes! He's going to get himself killed before I even get a chance to strangle him! How did they even let him race?! He's not a professional."

"Mr. Stark does posses an official racing license, Miss Stark."

"Shut up, Friday."

"My apologies." said the smooth voiced AI, sounding sheepish.

"Joei, if you grip the wheel any tighter your knuckles are going to pop out of your skin." said Caitlin, trying to get her to calm down.

"Sorry. You, too, Friday."

"Apology accepted, Miss Stark."

"What is that?!" Caitlin yelled, pointing at the screen.

Joei chanced a glance, and was so surprised she almost drifted out of her lane. A man had stepped through the gate and was walking toward the oncoming race cars, "What the fu-?!"

"What is THAT?" Caitlin screeched as the man revealed some sort of long lit up wires and his shirt started to burn off.

"Friday, take the wheel!" Joei yelled, allowing the AI to drive lest they crash into someone. Joei reached into the back seat for a pair of ballet flats, deciding now was not a good time to be wearing five inch heels.

On the screen, the two girls watched in horror as the man in orange revealed his chest.

"Is that..."

"That's an arc reactor," Joei gasped, "Those...whip things are connected to it."

"What do you think they do?" Caitlin asked in panic. Just then, a car approached the man in orange and he whipped one of the long cables through the air, slicing the car nearly in half. The girls let out equally stunned shrieks.

"That's what it does!" Joei yelled, "Friday! Find a short cut and step on it!"

"Right away, Miss Stark."

"Look!" Caitlin pointed at the screen as a car that Joei recognized as Happy's rental cut through the barriers and sped through the race track.

Joei looked around and found similar barriers up ahead.

"Give me back the wheel, Friday! Caitlin, hold on!"

They broke through the barrier and Joei raced in the opposite directions of the cars.

"We're going to die!" Caitlin screamed.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Joei yelled, refusing to relinquish her hold on the steering wheel, or remove her eyes from the road.

"There they are!" Caitlin pointed to Happy and Pepper's car ahead of them.

Joei stepped harder down on the gas until she caught up with them.

"Joei, your dad!"

Joei chanced an extra fast look at the screen and saw one of the long reactor powered whips come down on the front of Tony's race car.

"Eyes on the road!" Caitlin yelled as they passed dangerously close to a race car.

She determinedly looked forward again, not wanting to crash into anything, but still muttering all the same as anger and panic soon turned to worry and anguish, "Please be okay. Please, please be okay."

"I can see him!" said Caitlin, still looking closely at the screen as Joei dodged yet another race car behind Happy, "He's moving."

"Thank God."

"The bad news is that the other guy is moving, too."

"Shit." Joei breathed, becoming more and more desperate as she wound around the incoming cars.

"A bunch of cars just crashed into each other behind the guy but your dad's okay," Caitlin continued her commentary.

"Almost there, almost there." Joei breathed, trying her best to hold down a panic attack and focus at the same time. If Happy hadn't been moving ahead of her for her to follow, she would have definitely crashed head first into something by now.

"Aaah!"

"What?!" Joei's panic peaked as Caitlin screamed at the screen.

"Your dad tried to hit him with a car door but he knocked it out of his hands with a whip thing."

"He doesn't have a suit!"

Caitlin yelped again.

"What happened?!"

"Um, one of the whip things came really close to your dad's...you know."

Joei almost rolled her eyes.

"He hit his face on a car."

"Is he okay?!"

"He's not getting up!"

"What?!"

"Eyes on the road! Holy shit. Holy shit holyshitholyshit...oh my...YES! GO MR. STARK!"

"I take it he did something good?!" Joei asked, her voice coming out in shallow breaths.

"Yes. He blew up a car."

"He what?!"

"In the crazy dude's face. Look, we're almost there!"

Joei looked up to see smoke and fire up ahead, presumably from all the cars that had crashed.

"I have an idea. Friday, scan the area for injured drivers and link me to Happy's car."

"Right away, Miss Stark."

"Kind of busy here!" Happy yelled as the call pulled through, sounding out of breath.

"Happy, hit the guy with your car!"

"What?!"

"Hit him with your car! Pin him to the fence!" Joei yelled.

"I'm on it!"

Happy slowed down only enough to not kill whoever he was about to hit, and Joei parked a few yards away.

"Heat signatures show two drivers in cars 12 and 36, Miss Stark." said Friday.

"Come on, we're getting them out." said Joei, stepping out of the car. "Friday, send out some sort of distress call to paramedics."

"What about your dad?" asked Caitlin.

"They got the guy and Pepper has his suit. Come on. You get 36, I'll get 12." said Joei.

The two girls approached the cars with caution. The green car in front of Joei was leaning against the fence upside down, gas leaking from the side of it.

"Hey!" Joei called out to the driver, who was groggily moving his head from side to side, suspended a couple feet above the ground by his seat belts, "Can you hear me?"

The driver's head turned toward Joei, and she lifted his visor to reveal piercing green eyes.

"Is this heaven?" the driver slurred in an Italian accent before letting out a groan.

"Nope. Still Monaco." Joei shook her head, registering Pepper yelling at her dad to get in the car, "Can you move?"

"Yeah. But my arm," the man groaned, and Joei noticed that from his upside down position his arm was sticking out in a strange angle from his elbow, "I can't pull myself out."

"If I help you, do you think you can push yourself out of the seat with your legs?"

"Yeah," the man grunted.

"Alright, I'm going to remove your helmet and then I'm going to unbuckle you from this thing so hold onto me with your good arm."

"I can do that," he nodded slowly, sounding like he was in a world of pain.

Joei removed the helmet and swore under her breath. The man wasn't so much a man as he was a teenager. He couldn't be more than a couple years older than her. In the back of her mind she also noticed he was very cute. The boy's eyes suddenly widened and he swore in what must have been Italian.

Joei turned around to find that the man in orange was conscious, and had just sliced through the door of Happy's car.

"Hit him again!" Joei yelled, turning quickly to unbuckle the driver's seat belts.

"Hurry!" the driver said as Happy continued to hit the man in orange and Pepper continued to yell.

"I'm going! There's a lot of buckles."

"Both at the same time! Press both at the same time!"

She finally managed to get the buckles loose, making most of the driver's weight fall onto her shoulders as he dangled by his feet.

"Oh boy," Joei wheezed, shifting the guy's weight. Behind her, the yelling continued as the sound of one of the man in orange's whips cut through metal. "Get your feet out! Now!"

The driver kicked his feet out from the car and landed not-so graciously on the ground, quickly pushing off of Joei to stand up. Joei turned in time to see the man in orange slice through another piece of the car.

"Joei get out of here!" Tony yelled form amidst the chaos and panic. Joei turned to see the man in orange giving her a non-too-friendly smile, the blood dripping from his teeth only making it more terrifying. "Run! Now!"

"Thank you," the driver gasped, clutching onto Joei's arm as he regained his balance, "Thank..."

"Thank me later! Run now!" she grabbed his good arm and led him toward her car, looking back in time to see Pepper throwing the red and gold suitcase at Tony.

Joei looked around for Caitlin and found her taking refuge in one of the stands, a cell phone held fast against her ear as she spoke quickly and urgently, panic still evident on her face. Meanwhile, Tony's suit had built up around him and he kicked the car away from the man in orange.

"What are you waiting for?!" the driver yelled at her from the passenger's seat as the man in orange whipped Tony's hand away before he could fire up a repulsor blast, "Drive!"

"Wait!" Joei yelled, "And stop yelling at me! I just saved your life! Friday, where's the paramedics?!"

"All units are busy attending to injured drivers," answered Friday. "Two more units are en-route."

"Whoa, what was that?!" the driver looked around in astonishment.

"AI. Artificial intelligence."

"Huh?"

"Like a talking computer. Forget it," she shook her head, "Are you alright? Does anything other than your arm hurt?"

"No."

"Did you hit your head?"

"I don't think so."

"What's your name?"

"Michael."

Joei took a deep breath, watching the fight play out before her.

"Friday, link me up with the suit."

"Yes, Miss Stark."

The screen began to display a loading page, and soon she was seeing what her dad was seeing.

"Dad!"

"Josephine! I said get out!"

"I'm fine! Dad, you've got to speed up the blasts, even if they're weaker. He'll never let you load up completely."

"On it." said Tony, managing to get a few hits in against his opponent, "This won't last long, we've gotta come up with-uh oh."

The whips were now wrapped around Tony's arm and neck, pulling him forward.

"Dad!"

"I'm okay," he groaned before being swung onto the hood of Happy's car, "Okay that one hurt. Any other ideas?"

The screen display began to falter.

"Just punch him!" Michael yelled next to Joei, yelping when he hurt his broken arm.

"I don't know who that was but he's got a good idea," said Tony, latching onto the whip around his neck and wrapping himself around it to get closer. Finally, Tony got within punching distance and hit the man repeatedly in the face, knocking him down.

"The reactor!"

"Yeah, I know," said Tony, pulling out the reactor and immediately causing the cables and the rest of the man's gear to go out.

Joei opened the car door and raced out, Michael following close behind her.

The man in orange was dragged away by policemen, laughing all the way. He fixed his eyes momentarily on Joei, and his fingers rose to point at her.

Tony turned to look at her as she rushed forward, the faceplate of his suit lifting up to reveal his face.

"I told you to run," Tony said in a panicked voice.

"I'm fine! Are you okay?" asked Joei.

"I'm fine. Who is this?"

"Michael. He's a driver. I helped him out of his car."

"Who the hell taught you to play hero?"

"You did!" said Joei, flinging her hands up, "Michael, go find an ambulance."

"I..."

"Just go!" Joei and Tony yelled at the same time, making a frightened looking Michael step back and away from them towards the incoming ambulances.

"Joesphine, when I tell you to run away, you run away, do you understand?!"

"I was helping!"

"Well don't!"

"Guys," Pepper walked up next to them on shaky legs, her voice small and hoarse as she tried to keep her nerve, "Not here. Come on. We'll take Joei's car."

Joei and Pepper climbed into the back of Joei's still intact Cadillac, Happy taking the wheel in a much calmer fashion. Caitlin approached them and climbed into Joei's other side, leaving her to sit in the middle and stare at herself in the rearview mirror. her hair was frazzled and her cheek had an oil stain on it. Tony stepped out of the suit and climbed into the passenger's seat, the suitcase in his lap.

Police cars began to surround them, escorting them back to the hotel. Pepper made a quick phone call to Natalie, asking that she get them a suite and have the employee entrance opened for them to sneak in through.

Tony turned around to look Josephine in the eye. In all the years that she'd known him, he had been angry many times, but never with her. She had messed up, she had broken expensive things in the shop, once she had almost ruined the hot rod's engine for good. And yet he had always sighed at her, ruffled her hair and told her it was okay. Every now and then he would look close to losing his patience, but he'd close his eyes for two seconds and his face would be overcome with love and understanding. Never in her life had her father ever directed his anger at her until this very moment, and it was terrifying.

"Josephine, when I started these missions, I did it to protect the people that I put in harms way. And to protect the people that I care about," he managed to say evenly, "I don't wear this suit so that you can DELIBERATELY..."

"Ahem," Pepper cleared her throat before Tony could raise his voice anymore.

Tony took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring and his eyes falling shut before he spoke again in a low voice, his jaw tense, "I don't do this so you can go off after me and play hero. If I tell you to run, you run. Do you understand? You are the only thing I have left in this world that's worth a damn, and I will not allow you to put yourself in harms way, even if it means saving somebody else."

Joei looked down at her lap, her eyes watering as she realized that Tony's were glistening. Around her, the other occupants of the car were deadly silent.

"It's one thing for you to watch my back on an easy mission from a computer screen in the garage." Tony sighed, "But running into the line of fire is a whole other ballgame. One that I never want to see you play again. Don't ever, _ever_ risk your life like that again. Promise me. No matter what happens to me tomorrow or a month from now. Whether I'm there to put on the heroics or not. Promise me."

Joei's breath caught in her throat.

 _Oh, Dad. How am I ever going to be able to tell you the truth?_

"Josephine," his voice was softer this time, and Joei felt Pepper nudge her slightly, "Promise me."

Joei sniffed and lifted her head to look into her dad's eyes, tears welling up in her own, "I promise."

"I love you, kid. And I never want to see you in danger," he said softly, taking her shaky hand in his much larger and warmer one.

"I love you, Dad," she whispered.

On her left side, Caitlin was looking at her with a sad and knowing expression. Joei took one close look at her new friend, realizing she'd never asked if Caitlin's family knew about her real job. With a shaky sigh, Joei leaned her head on the agent's shoulder, and quickly fell asleep all the way to the hotel.

* * *

 **Just a quick reminder that Tony is very much aware of the fact that he's dying, and that these are, as far as he knows, the last vacations he will ever get to spend with his daughter. And although Tony doesn't really know how to show it sometimes, Joei is his entire world. I like to think that this Tony considers Joei to be the one good thing he has done, amidst all of the hurt he caused by making his weapons.**


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter introduces a character from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, but it's not necessary to have watched the show in order to understand the story.**

 **This chapter is also PG-13 as far as language, because you can't be related to Tony Stark and not let a few bad words slip out here and there.**

 **Disclaimer: As usual, I do not own rights to Marvel and make no profit off of them.**

* * *

 **January 27, 2010**

Joei spent the first two hours of their flight sleeping in the small bedroom of the jet. When she awoke, it felt like she had only slept five minutes. She stared up at the ceiling for a long time, images of yesterday running through her head. Tony's words were on repeat in her mind, wrapping themselves around her until she felt like she would drown in her own guilt. It didn't help when a knock sounded on her door and it opened slightly, filling the otherwise dark room with a blue glow.

"May I?"

"Yeah," Joei answered, her voice coming out a lot quieter and weaker than she expected.

"You okay?" asked Tony, sitting on the end of the bed, "Pepper said you had a headache."

"The nap helped. Still hurts a little, though," she sniffed, not looking him in the eye.

"Hey," said Tony, waving his hand in front of her face, "Over here, remember?"

"Sorry," she tried her best at a smile, turning to look at his eyes. Her stomach clenched so badly she thought she might be air sick. She knew that look. He'd come to apologize.

"Look, I get it," he started, running a hand through his hair, "We haven't really...had a lot of time together in the past year. Not like before. And then I do something that appeared to be only mildly stupid...and then some idiot shows up and makes things a thousand times more dangerous...and you were..." he struggled for a word until Joei offered one for him.

"Terrified?"

"Yeah. And you stayed to help. I get that, too. I get wanting to help, and I get being scared out of your mind. But I just...I'm not afraid of what can happen to me, Josephine. I'm afraid of what can happen to you. I've always been afraid of what can happen to you."

"Dad..."

"Hold on, I'm kind of on a roll here," he said, taking her hand in both of his, "Joei, when I was in that cave, I could have flat out refused to make that bomb. I could have let myself die instead of allowing the bad guys to get a hold of my tech. I thought about it, more than once. I thought 'if I'm the only one that can give them what they want, then I'll just take myself out of the equation.' But I didn't."

Tony stoop up and continued, "I didn't because of you. You're the reason that I got out of there. You're the reason I made this," he tapped lightly at the arc reactor, "You're the reason I made the suit, the reason I decided to do what I do. You are always the reason. For those few good decisions that I make amongst a long list of shitty ones, you are the reason."

Joei couldn't find a single word to say, and instead chose to stand up and wrap her arms around her dad. They remained that way for well over a minute, both holding onto each other for very different reasons. Reasons that neither one knew or understood about the other.

Finally, Tony spoke, "Now I have to go apologize to Pepper. Maybe if I take her some food it'll soften her up a little."

Joei let out a watery laugh, "Good luck with that. I'm going to check the hospital listings for people who were injured in the race. Maybe we can help."

"Make sure all their hospital expenses are covered. This one was on me." said Tony, "Well, actually it was on Vanko, but he was coming after me so..."

"I'll take care of it," said Joei, going to fish for her cell phone amongst her belongings. "You know, while we're on it, we should put in another donation for Haiti Relief. The trucks we sent with food and water ran out yesterday. I was thinking we could send some more, along with some other necessities. Soap, woman's hygiene products, toilet paper, diapers, all that sort of stuff."

Tony leaned against the door frame, looking impressed, "That sounds perfect. You know, what? You're in charge of charity projects from now on. Yep. Officially. You can do that from college, right? If you need help you can ask Natalie or Caitlin or even Pepper if she's not too busy. Get on it."

"Really?" asked Joei, a smile drawing on her face. Maybe it had to do with spending her first few years in a horrid orphanage with a horrid director, but humanitarian projects had always been her favorite part of what her dad did.

"Yeah. Just don't let your grades drop."

"Thanks, Dad!" she hugged him again briefly before rushing to get her cell phone and computer, "I'm going to start on that right now."

"Hey, kiddo?" Tony said from the door.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Joei spun around to face her dad. Tony might not have been the type of father to say it every single day, but he said it often enough. She'd never felt unloved by Tony, and he'd always been there to tell her he loved her when she needed him to. So she wasn't entirely sure why it was affecting her now. Maybe it was the way his voices sounded, like he was trying to fit one hundred 'I love yous' into a single one. Her eyes pooled with tears again and she found it hard to smile.

"I love you, too, Dad."

* * *

 **January 28, 2010**

"Miss Stark, your father would like to know if you have time to go to dinner before setting out?" Jarvis' voice rang out, momentarily silencing the loud pop music that Tony insisted would rot her brain.

"Yeah, I just have a couple more things to pack up," said Joei, folding a sweater and placing it gently in the small suitcase she'd brought.

"Sir says he will meet you in the living room in twenty minutes."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

A few more minutes passed in which Joei walked into her large closet and looked around once more. Deciding that was all she needed for now, she searched for something to wear to dinner. Just as she was about to change, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" she called, kicking off her shoes.

"Hello, Miss Stark."

"Caitlin," said Joei in surprise, turning around to find both her and Agent Romanoff inside her bedroom. She quickly walked over to the control panel on the wall by her door and switched Jarvis off for the next twenty minutes.

"We're safe," she nodded when the AI went offline.

"Where's Stark?" asked Romanoff.

"Either in the workshop or getting ready for dinner," said Joei, "What can I do for you, agents?"

"We need you to stay here," said Natasha.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Vanko has escaped prison," the redhead explained.

"HE WHAT?!"

"It's not being released to the public, but we're taking certain security measures."

"On top of that, Fury thinks that sending you to the Academy may not be right for the job he's got lined up for you." said Caitlin, sitting on the edge of Joei's bed.

"Why not?" Joei asked, her brow furrowing. She'd worked incredibly hard this past semester, and while she might not have been the top student, she wasn't behind, either.

"Things are getting very weird very fast," said Caitlin, her elbows coming to rest on her knees, "Faster than Fury thought they would. You need to be ready for profiling possible candidates and for field operations as fast as possible. Having you at the Academy means we can only do one at a time."

"So what am I supposed to do then? Where is Fury sending me?" asked Joei, annoyed that Nick Fury apparently thought he could move her around like a chess piece until he needed her.

"Like we said, you're staying here for now," said Romanoff, "Fury's arranging a new plan for you."

"He's putting me on hold, more like," Joei muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. Then again, she'd missed her strange little family, and the events of the past couple of days had her not so convinced of going back to school.

The agents ignored her comment, giving each other a look that suggested they were having an entire conversation without speaking.

"Will you be alright with making up an alibi?" asked Caitlin.

Joei sighed, "With the way Dad has been lately, I could probably just sit around here for the rest of the semester and he wouldn't even realize I was missing school. I'll come up with something."

When the time for dinner came, Joei and Tony rode in his car. Happy didn't come along this time, but Romanoff had managed to sneak the Iron Man suitcase into the trunk of Tony's Rolls-Royce.

"I got us a table facing the beach," said Tony, holding out his arm for her to enter the restaurant. "Is that alright?"

"That's good," Joei answered.

Tony didn't have to state his name to the hostess before being led to their table out on the back patio of the restaurant that they both loved.

"Is something on your mind?" asked Tony, looking intently at Joei's tight expression as they took their seats.

Joei sighed. It was best to get this done sooner.

"What would you say if I decided not to go back to school this semester?"

"What?" Tony asked, raising his eyebrows. Joei could tell that a part of him was delighted, which confused her. She knew her dad missed her terribly, but he'd always considered knowledge to be the most important thing in the world. He'd saved enough money for her to go to whatever university in the world she decided on.

"I just...maybe Syracuse isn't the right place for me. I could transfer, or spend a semester focusing on my new responsibilities at Stark." said Joei, "Maybe I could..."

"May I take your drink orders, Mr. and Miss Stark?" the waiter interrupted. Joei and Tony ordered both drinks and food quickly and returned to the conversation at hand.

"Just one semester?"

"Yeah," said Joei, "Maybe less if I were to find somebody to take me in after deadlines."

"And you promise you'll go back to school after that?"

"I promise," said Joei, swallowing hard and wishing her drink would come soon. There went another lie to add to her constantly growing list of things she would eventually have to apologize to her dad for.

"Sounds like a plan," said Tony as their drinks arrived.

Joei's eyebrows rose in surprise, "Really? You're not going to argue about the importance of my education?"

Tony shrugged, "I'm sure you're smart enough to know what direction you want to go in. And I wouldn't mind having some more noise around the house, you know?"

"Can't you just say you miss me like a normal dad?" Joei chuckled.

"Nope."

* * *

 **February 13, 2010**

"Is there something I can do for you, Agent?" Joei scowled, keeping her eyes fixed on the window display of the store she was looking at. She'd received a single text with an address on it. It was far off in some corner of the city that she would never have thought to shop in, but she had to admit they had a few nice things she might be taking home with her.

"Book store down the street. It's important," said Barton, pretending to be interested in a necklace a couple feet away, "Tell the lady at the back counter that your friend Nick recommended that you read a spy novel set in the 40s."

Joei sighed and waited a minute, walking slowly down the street and pretending to look at the displays of each store until she reached the bookshop's main window display. She acted as if one of the books had caught her eye, tilting her head and looking up at the name of the bookstore as if it interested her greatly, and finally walking in.

She looked at the shelves as she slowly walked toward the back of the store. There were only a few patrons inside the store, all taking up the front of the store where the books were shiny and the employees seemed nicer than the sour looking woman in her fifties that was sitting among dusty old books.

"Um, hello. I'm looking for a book." said Joei nervously. She knew it would work, of course, but this woman's eyes were cold and calculating and it felt like the lady could see into Joei's brain and read her every thought, "My friend Nick recommended it. It's a spy novel, set in the 40s."

"I have just the book you're looking for," the woman said, holding up a panel in the counter that would allow Joei to cross, "Follow me."

Behind the counter and off to one side was a deep blue curtain, through which Joei followed the woman down a concrete hallway. The hallway didn't match anything in the cozy bookstore behind them, but it reminded Joei of the administration buildings at The Academy.

At the end of the hall they turned right, arriving at a door that scanned the older woman's hand and clicked open for Joei, revealing a very tiny closet containing a metal detector and a blank stretch of wall beyond it.

"Pass the metal detector and you'll be allowed through," said the woman.

The moment Joei stepped forward, the door behind her was closed and she was plunged into darkness.

"Please don't let me get kidnapped," Joei muttered to herself as lights began to go off around the metal detector and the wall in front of her suddenly slipped aside, allowing her access to a small conference room where two men were sitting and waiting for her.

"Agent Coulson, I hear you have something important for me."

"More like various somethings. Sorry for interrupting your day," he said.

"I was finished with most of what I had to do today anyway," Joei shrugged. "So, what's this all about?"

Barton slipped out of the room quietly, leaving Joei with Coulson.

"First off, I have an Avengers report."

"Couldn't you have typed that out and sent it?"

"Yes, but there are other matters we need to discuss, as well." said Coulson, opening the file folder he'd been carrying with him, "We're still tracking Dr. Banner from a distance. He hasn't been this close to our borders in a long time."

Joei nodded, "If he crosses Customs, I want somebody tracking him closer."

"Fury's already assigned Agent Sitwell in case that happens." said Coulson, "The next thing is pretty big. Our Project Rebirth Tracking Team found this."

She was handed a small stack of pictures, all containing the same things. Old bombs encased in ice, words just barely visible on some of them, but a few were clear enough. Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. were visible on three of them.

"These bombs were located by our team, believed to be the same bombs that were on the Valkyrie when Steve Rogers crash landed in the ocean."

"That means we're close, doesn't it?" she asked, heart racing, "Rogers crashed to keep these bombs from hitting our cities. The plane can't be too far off. If you find the plane, you find Captain America."

"The search is still going," Coulson nodded.

"Alright, and what's the other big important thing you needed to tell me?" asked Joei.

Coulson pulled out yet another file, this one much bigger than the last.

"Your alternate education plan has been arranged." said Coulson.

"Where's Fury sending me now?" Joei rolled her eyes, still sour over the fact that Fury was swinging her around like a puppet without ever showing his face. She opened the file, revealing a piece of paper with the picture of a black man in a suit in the top left corner.

"This is Dr. Andrew Gardner," said Coulson, "He's one of S.H.I.E.L.D's top consultants when it comes to profiling."

"Then why not get him to profile your Avengers candidates?"

"Fury wants to keep as few people on this as possible." Coulson explained.

Joei sighed and shook her head, "I still don't understand what I'm doing here, Agent Coulson. I'm smart, but I'm no genius. It took me months to climb that goddamn rock wall and I can't run or lift things to save my life. I'm not covert. I don't have any outstanding talents other than charming my way out of trouble or talking to the media. Why put me on something as high profile as this? Why not give it to you or Romanoff or another one of Fury's most trusted agents?"

Coulson leaned forward and placed a hand near Joei's, "Honestly, even I can't answer that. Fury has reasons behind everything he does. He doesn't always tell people those reasons."

Joei huffed and rolled her eyes. She really wasn't sure about this, but she'd invested so much into the entire charade just to get into the Academy, and even if she ended up not being what Nick Fury expected, being an Agent had sounded appealing since she'd met Peggy.

"Alright, so what will I be doing with Dr. Gardner?"

"He's going to be your private tutor," said Coulson, "He's a professor at Culver University. For the most part you'll be able to communicate online with him, but he might ask you to travel to Virginia every now and then, or to any other places where you might be able to learn more about his job."

"I didn't know colleges did private tutors."

"They don't. But S.H.I.E.L.D doesn't offer the kind of major you're going to need to handle a team of world's most extraordinary human beings."

"Alright. So will I be working exclusively with Dr. Gardner?"

"You'll have online classes with a list of professors at Culver, but Dr. Gardner will be your coordinator and liaison. Meanwhile, Agents Barton and Agent Graham will be in charge of your physical and field training."

"I get to keep Caitlin?" Joei smiled. Having at least one more familiar face around would make her feel a little less isolated.

"Yes." said Coulson, fishing a small box out of his pocket. "Here. This phone is S.H.I.E.L.D issued, for official use only. Use it to contact Agents Barton, Romanoff, Graham, and myself, as well as Dr. Gardner, at almost any time. It's encrypted, practically fullproof."

Joei took the small flip phone out and stuck it in her pocket.

"You'll be hearing from Gardner soon," Coulson continued. "Good luck. You should leave first."

"Thank you, Agent Coulson." Joei nodded, standing up and taking her new batch of files with her.

"You're welcome," said the agent, his usual tight smile playing on his face as they shook hands.

Joei left the small room and stepped back out into the bookstore, purchasing a couple novels and a text on psychology before heading back to her car.

* * *

 **February 14, 2010**

"Knock, knock," said Joei, having successfully crept her way up to her dad's room where the door was open.

Tony jumped, swearing when a drop of something spilled onto the carpet and sucking his thumb as he turned around.

"Joei!" he exclaimed, still clad in an old t-shirt and pajama pants.

"Surprise," Joei laughed, leaning against the door frame, "Happy Valentine's Day. What's that?"

"What?" Tony asked, looking down at the small gadget in his hand and shoving it quickly into his pocket, "Nothing. Blood sugar test."

"Dad," Joei sighed, stepping forward to put her hands on his shoulders, "Have you not been eating?"

"Uh, I may have skipped dinner last night," said Tony, earning a scolding look from his daughter.

"Well, since it is Valentine's Day, and we are both utterly, hopelessly single..."

"My singleness is not hopeless," Tony raised a finger, "I could have a girlfriend if I wanted to. I just don't want to. Valentine's Day is a fabricated, capitalistic holiday with little to no sentimental meaning at all."

"Well," Joei smirked, "It's too bad you feel that way, because I was hoping you would be my Valentine and we could go spend the day together, starting with a late breakfast..."

Tony's ears perked up.

"...but since you don't particularly enjoy this holiday..."

"Wait...wait," said Tony, trying to look nonchalant, "I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do today. Well, except some last minute party planning..."

"Last minute what now?"

"Party planning," said Tony, walking toward his closet in search of something to wear, "It's Valentine's Day."

"Um, excuse me," said Joei, following after him into his walk in closet which was even bigger than her own, "But, do you really think that with the field day the media has been having..."

"Blue tie or green tie?"

"...that we should be bringing anymore attention to ourselves..."

"Maybe no tie. If you're going to wear that..."

"...by doing something outlandish and irresponsible like one of your insane parties..."

"I should probably keep it a little more casual."

"Is this what Pepper feels like? Because I'm starting to understand why she yells at you so much," Joei huffed.

"I promise it won't be a big party. Thirty, fifty guests tops. Just dinner and some jazz music or something. You know, most college kids are dying to go to grown up parties with free booze," said Tony, holding up two shirt in front of him.

"Not when they're thrown by their fathers," said Joei, pointing to one of the shirts, "And not while everybody around us is working their ass off to help you keep your suits, while you're moping around in your workshop doing God knows what," her voice began to rise, "and planning a goddamn Valentine's Day party! What has gotten into you?! It's like you don't even give a shit about anything anymore!"

Tony stared at her in silence as Joei seethed, quick and angry breaths coming out of her mouth and nose.

"I care more than I've ever cared before," he said evenly, and Joei noticed a sudden change in his eyes.

She felt too tired to stand, and somehow ended up sitting against the door frame of the closet, elbows propped up on her knees. Tony ended up in front of her, back pressed against the other side of the door frame.

"What's happening to you, Dad?" Joei asked, searching his eyes, which still looked glossed over and sad. But mostly, they looked tired. Not the sort of tired look he got when he went three days without sleep and had a post-caffeine crash. Just tired.

"I'm fine."

"That's bullshit," she answered quietly, earning a snort of laughter from her father.

The room was silent for almost two minutes, until Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "I shouldn't tell you. Or maybe I should. But I'm just...there is something going on, but for my own selfish reasons, I can't tell you. I don't want you to have to act differently because of something so insignificant..."

"Dad..."

"Don't ask me, Josephine." he said, standing up and offering a hand to help her up, "If you do, I'll lie to you."

"Is that a tattoo, or something?" Joei pointed at map of lines that she hadn't noticed were crawling up Tony's neck, testing out her father's statement.

"Henna," Tony nodded, giving her a calculating stare.

Joei sighed. Whatever was going on was much bigger than a Russian with an arc reactor.

"I should have stayed home," Joei mumbled, walking out of the closet.

"You're here now," Tony shrugged.

Joei was halfway to her room when she made a split second decision.

"Jarvis, has Miss Rushman arrived yet?"

"She is pulling up into the driveway now, Miss Stark."

"Tell her to stay put. We're going for a drive."

An hour later, Joei had finished telling Agent Romanoff all of the strange behavior she'd witnessed in the last few months. The agent had listened quietly, driving until they reached the closest Starbucks drivethru and making their way back.

"Something is going on, and I know that if anybody can figure out what it is, it's S.H.I.E.L.D," said Joei, "I'm scared for him. He's acting like...like he's going to..."

"Die?"

Joei nodded, hands gripping the coffee cup in her hand a little too tightly as she stared down at her lap.

Romanoff sighed, "I was sent here to observe Tony and make an assessment. I'm not supposed to interfere with his decision making. I'm supposed to be neutral, except for a few tests here and there to gauge possible reactions, I'm supposed to nod and smile and agree to everything he says."

Joei sighed in defeat, "I was afraid you would say that."

"But..." Romanoff started, "He's an asset to S.H.I.E.L.D whether we decide to include him in the Initiative or not. And assets need to be alive in order to be assets. I'll tell Fury everything you just told me, including the skin rash. With any luck, he'll get a team to figure out whatever is happening to him."

"He better," said Joei, a newly found conviction in her voice at the thought of having the most powerful woman she knew as an ally, "I'm dishing out thousands of dollars a month to pay for his prolonged ice fishing trip."

They pulled up to the driveway then, coffee and a bag of treats in hand to calm the storm that was certainly brewing inside the house, if Pepper and Rhodey's cars were anything to go by.

"Thank you, Agent Romanoff," said Joei as they parked next to Pepper's car.

"Natasha," the Agent corrected, "And I'm glad I can be of use."

* * *

Looking back, Joei had to admit that falling asleep after she'd gotten dressed for the night was probably not the best idea.

She awoke, groggy and with a full face of make up, to loud ringing by her head. Realizing it was the S.H.I.E.L.D issued cellphone on the bedside table, she shot up and answered without looking at the caller ID, only to be assaulted by the sound of very loud music and yelling.

"Hello?" Joei asked in a croaky voice.

"Joei! Where are you?!"

She could barely make out Caitlin's voice over the thumping music, which Joei realized was also thumping ever so lightly throughout her bedroom, despite having nearly soundproof walls. It was most certainly not jazz music.

"Shit," Joei swore under her breath before yelling into the phone herself, "I'll be right there!"

Giving herself a once over in the mirror, she realized that the half updo she had put her hair in had been ruined by the pillows and decided to pull the bobby pins out and let her hair curl down her shoulders and back. Her sparkly blue dress was probably wrinkled in the back, but she honestly had bigger things to worry about, like the fact that from her window she could see a pool full of people, mostly women.

The moment she opened the door to her bedroom, she was assaulted with blaring music and screams.

"Joei!"

"Josephine!"

"Joei! Over here!"

People called for her attention, hugged her, or tried to flirt with her all the way down the stairs and into the living room, where she was brought face to face with the party in its entirety. Men and women crowded around the living room, drinks in hand as they danced, yelled, and clapped. Off to the side, in a much more secluded lounge area, she could see a slew of top celebrities sitting back and watching the party with amusement. Joei blushed and waved when Christian Bale tried to wave her over, standing with a guy who looked only a couple years older than herself, but motioned that she'd come back later.

Just as she turned back to find that it was DJ A.M. playing up front, a much more alarming sight made Joei come close to a panic attack. Tony Stark walked onto the raised platform, outfitted completely in his Iron Man armor.

"This mother..."

"Joei!'

Josephine turned to see Caitlin rushing over to her.

"Thank God. Where's Natash..Natalie?" Joei corrected quickly as three giggling women who looked barely old enough to drink walked past them.

"I'm not sure," said Caitlin, "She was dealing with some wierdos in the kitchen."

"I'm going to kill him," said Joei, turning back to where her dad was now playing along with the DJ. "Weed out the reporters and make them leave, I'll take care of the celebrities."

Half an hour later, Joei had managed to charm her way into making most of the celebrities leave. Those who did stay were probably too drunk to remember anything that would happen in the morning, anyway.

"I got the reporters out," said Caitlin when they found each other in the kitchen, "But there's one other little problem."

"What?"

"Your dad is really drunk," said Caitlin, "As in, falling over himself in the suit drunk. And Pepper's car just pulled up."

"Oh boy."

The two girls rushed back to the living room in time to see Tony fall over himself, and Pepper standing next to none other than James Rhodes, looking positively livid. Joei approached them cautiously.

"How did this happen?!" Rhodey growled.

"Don't blame me!" Joei held her hands up, "He said it was a small dinner party with jazz music! I just got dressed and may or may not have fallen asleep when all the guests arrived."

Rhodey and Pepper gave her pointed looks.

"Hey! I'm the kid here," she crossed her arms over her chest, "You're the angry mom and dad who are here to stop the party."

"This is ridiculous," Rhodey said through his teeth, "I just stuck my neck out for this guy."

"I know, I know," said Pepper, trying to calm her friend, "I'm going to handle it, okay? Just let me handle it."

"Handle it," said Rhodey angrily, "Or I'm gonna have to."

Joei followed behind Pepper's brisk pace as Tony took the mic and began to speak.

"You know the question I get asked most often is 'Tony, how do you go to the bathroom in the suit?'" Tony slurred.

"Oh no." Joei muttered in mortification as Tony took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Just like that."

The room exploded with laughs and applause as Pepper climbed onto the dais and approached Tony. Joei stood off to the side, feeling absolutely mortified.

"Is this...normal?" Caitlin asked.

"Not in front of me," Joei shook her head, "He was always a hard party goer and parties usually meant coming home drunk. But he has never, ever gotten drunk somewhere that he knows I'll be. This is so embarrassing."

Caitlin patted Joei on the back, and Joei couldn't help but be grateful for her blonde companion's constant presence as of late.

"If you ever decide being an agent isn't your thing anymore, I call dibs on hiring you," said Joei.

Pepper was taking the microphone from Tony and smiling at the crowd now, "Does this guy know how to throw a party or what?"

"I love you," Tony giggled.

Joei rolled her eyes, "I've been trying to get him to say that sober for two years and he says it when she's mad as hell at him."

"Thank you so much, Tony. We all thank you so much for such a wonderful night. And we're gonna say goodnight now," said Pepper, motioning for Joei to step up next to her, which she did as the crowd let out sounds of disagreement.

"Wait wait no," Tony started, prompting Joei to take the microphone as Pepper smiled and tried to reason with a drunk man in a large metal suit.

"Sorry, everybody," said Joei with a smile, "But it really is time for us to finish up here. We've got a big day tomorrow and...it looks like my dad wants to say his goodbyes so I'll just..."

Pepper nodded and allowed Joei to hand over the microphone to Tony.

"I'll take this," said Pepper, taking the bottle of wine away frrm Tony and setting it elsewhere.

"The ladies are right," said Tony, making his way through the crowd, "The party is over. Then again, the party was over for me like an hour and a half ago."

"No," Joei's eyes widened and she shook her head, "Uh-uh."

"The after party starts in fifteen minutes!"

"I'm going to need a longer list of swear words for this one," Joei muttered.

"And if anybody (Pepper), doesn't like it, there's the door."

And then Tony blew up their custom made, half a million dollar glass fountain with a point of his hand.

"Fuck."

Joei turned to the spot where Rhodey had been, only to find that the man had turned around and was walking in what looked suspiciously like the direction of the workshop.

"Find Natalie!" Joei said to Caitlin urgently as Tony began to blast wine bottles out of the sky.

Caitlin ran off quickly and Josephine turned her attention to the woman with a blonde bob and scantily revealing dress who was helping Tony with his little game of Duck Hunt.

"Hey," she called out in the most intimidating voice she could muster, nearly groaning when she realized it reminded her a little too much of Agent Barton, "You need to go."

"We're just having a little fun." the woman giggled drunkenly.

"Yeah, well," Joei grabbed the woman's arm before she could throw another bottle into the air. Tony was looking around for something, muttering about reflections, "it looks like you've had enough fun for one night. Get out."

"Don't be a party pooper and let the grown ups have fun, little girl," the woman whined.

"Leave," Joei insisted, but before she could drag the woman away, the drunken blonde pushed Josephine with such unexpected strength that the younger woman lost her balance and fell backward, landing with her hands behind her, and a stinging pain immediately shot up the outer side of her palm.

The drunk blonde was back to throwing bottles in the air, and Tony was so concentrated on looking at the bottle's reflection in a serving tray that he didn't notice his daughter on the ground, nursing a bleeding hand from which a piece of black glass was sticking out.

"Dammit," Joei cursed for what felt like the millionth time and tried to pull herself up while avoiding the rest of the glass that surrounded her on the floor.

"Joei! Are you okay?!" Caitlin was by her side in an instant.

"How good are you at first aid?" Joei groaned, sitting up as another woman brought out a watermelon, "They couldn't blow up fruits before I spilled my guts out of my hand?"

Josephine looked down at her hand and instantly felt nauseous and faint, so that Caitlin had to grab her by the waist and lead her to the bar.

"Woah, that looks bad," said the bartender when they had successfully maneuvered their way through the crowd and behind the bar.

"Yeah, it feels pretty shitty, too," Joei groaned as Caitlin searched for the first aid kit that was kept underneath the bar. Her eyes just about bugged out of her head when the older girl pulled out a pair of tweezers.

"I'm not going to lie," said Caitlin, talking hold of Joei's hand, "This is going to hurt."

Joei grabbed a cloth napkin with her good hand and stuffed it in her mouth, turning to watch the woman brandishing the watermelon. Caitlin made quick work of it while the bartender looked away, and Joei was only somewhat grateful that the crowd was loud enough to drown out her scream. Tony was still completely unaware of his daughter's accident, and Pepper, Rhodey, and Natasha were nowhere in sight as the watermelon was blown to pieces, drenching everybody in sticky juice and chunks of fruit.

"I'm only going to say this once!" a voice called out over the crowd, silencing everybody.

"Cait, might want to move faster," said Joei, as the crowd parted to reveal the upgraded Mark II Iron Man suit, with James Rhodes as its pilot.

"Get out."

"You're going to need stitches, but this will hold you over for now." said Caitlin, wrapping Joei's hand tightly as the entire building evacuated.

"Okay, let's go," said Joei, knowing that this was a fight she did not want to be in the middle of. She grabbed Caitlin's hand with her good one and led her outside as Rhodey made a grab for Tony.

They found Pepper in the foyer, being approached by Natasha.

"Don't you Miss Potts me!" Pepper was pointing and yelling at the other redhead, "I'm onto you! Ever since you AH!"

The four women jumped and ran to the edge of the room as two Iron Man suits crashed through the roof with a deafening bang.

"That was my room," Joei muttered, her sarcasm and one liners kicking in as she struggled not to panic.

The two men began to fight, and Happy ran toward Pepper and Joei to drag them away.

"WILL YOU IDIOTS STOP THIS?!" Joei yelled, panic taking over as Caitlin dragged her away and toward the glass doors, around which the crowd had gathered to watch the fight.

"You need to go to the doctor," said Caitlin, leading Joei down toward the road entrance of the garage so that they were not far behind Pepper and Caitlin.

"Caitlin! Are you okay? What happened to your hand?" Pepper asked frantically when the two girl caught up to them.

"It's fine. Caitlin's taking me to go get it checked," said Joei, "Both of you go home. Caitlin and I will get a hotel."

"Stay at my place," offered Pepper.

"That's the first place dad will look in the morning and I'm not sure I'll want to face him yet," Joei shook her head, "I'll call you tomorrow, okay? Just go."

Pepper finally assented after a few more arguments, and Joei climbed into the passenger seat of her own car as they drove to the hospital. Joei watched the house get farther and farther away through the rear view mirror, almost relieved when the entire thing didn't blow up. Until it did. Even from afar, the bright light that was all too familiar burst through the sides of the house.

"That was a reactor explosion," Joei panted, vaguely recognizing that she was on the verge of a panic attack.

"Joei, listen to me," said Caitlin, "It's okay. Everything will be fine."

"FRIDAY!"

"Yes, Miss Stark?"

"Tap into the suit."

"Right away, Miss Stark."

The GPS screen lit up with a live feed of the Iron Man armor's head's up display, flickering slightly into focus.

"Are you alive?"

"Ugh...yeah." Tony groaned through the comms.

"Did I just watch Rhodey fly off with one of your suits?"

"Yes."

"Good. Maybe he'll use it responsibly."

"Are you mad at me, too?"

"Furious. I'll call you tomorrow or...whenever I don't want to violently murder you," said Joei, ending the call before anything else could be said.

* * *

 **Now everybody is mad at Tony! Poor guy, he just wanted to have one last awesome party. Also, I am aware that dates have been changed. This party falls nowhere near Tony's birthday like it does in the movie, but some of these date changes were necessary in order to keep up with Joei's schooling/age and the future of this story. Please please pleeeeaaase leave your reviews, and thank you for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Marvel or its characters.**

* * *

 **February 15, 2010**

"A doughnut shop?!" Joei raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips as she approached Tony in his workshop, "They found you in a goddamn doughnut shop?"

"Good morning to you, too, sweetie." said Tony, pausing the video he was watching. "What happened to your hand?"

"One of your blonde bottle launchers pushed me and I sliced my hand open on a piece of the extremely expensive glass fountain that _you_ shattered. You destroyed our house, Dad!" Joei's voice began to rise, "You blew up our home, you gave the U.S. Military one of your suits, and now the entire house is swimming with S.H.I.E.L.D Agents and we are both under house arrest! What is all of this?!"

She didn't mean to yell out the last question, but she was angrier than she could ever remember herself being at anyone right now. She counted to ten in her mind to calm herself, and Tony seemed to be doing it, too, because he didn't speak until she was finished.

"S.H.I.E.L.D stuff. Howard's stuff, actually. Did you know he founded S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"No," Joei lied, "But why do you have it?"

"Because apparently the secret of life is somewhere in this suitcase full of crap," said Tony, flipping through a notebook full of Howard's personal notes, "And I'm supposed to figure it out."

"Is that you?" asked Joei, as a little boy came up behind Howard's city of the future design in the video Tony was projecting.

In the video, Howard scolded Tony for moving something, "Where's your mother? Maria! Go on, go, go."

"Does that answer your question?"

Joei sighed, sitting down in a chair next to Tony to watch the video as Tony continued to sift through the papers. What else could she do? He was the dad. He was the one who was supposed to figure out problems. After nearly twenty minutes, Tony closed the notebook and tossed it into the briefcase on the floor, taking a drink of his strange black substance.

"Tony."

Both Starks sat up, attention drawn to the video as Howard spoke to his son.

"I built this for you. And someday you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than just people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world."

"Dad," Joei whispered, looking at her father's emotional expression as he watched and listened to his own father's faith in him.

"What is, and always will be, my greatest creation is you," Howard finished off, and Joei knew somewhere within in her that these last words were the ones that would affect her dad more than anything else Howard could have possibly said.

She could remember a long ago, off handed comment. Something he had said in passing on night. Something the she hadn't given as much significance at that age as she could now.

" _The guy created Captain America, I'm pretty sure creating a normal, nerdy, sarcastic teenager wasn't nearly as great as that."_

Silently, Josephine stood, and for the first time in far too long, she wrapped her arms around her dad. They sat there, in a silent understanding for only a few seconds before Tony spoke.

"How good is your distraction technique?"

"Who am I distracting?"

"Agent Super Nanny," said Tony, "I need something from my office...I mean, Pepper's office. And I have to tell her something."

Fifteen minutes later, Josephine was standing in the kitchen with Agent Coulson, or at least in what was left of the kitchen.

"Agent Coulson, any news on Dr. Banner?"

"He passed through US Customs yesterday. Agent Sitwell is shadowing him."

"Perfect. I want a full report on everything he does." said Joei.

They were silent for a few minutes as Joei dug around the pantry for something greasy and unhealthy and Coulson made himself a cup of tea.

"Coulson?"

"Yes?"

"I want to ask you some questions, but I want an honest answer."

"I'm a spy."

"Humor me."

"Alright."

"My dad's dying, isn't he?"

The air in the kitchen turned heavy, and the agent took a moment to respond, "Yes."

"And S.H.I.E.L.D knew? That's why they sent Romanoff without waiting for me to make the Avengers Assessment, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"And whatever Howard left for him to discover is what's going to save him, isn't it?"

"That's what Fury thinks, yes."

"And you're completely aware of the fact that he drove away ten minutes ago, aren't you?"

"Completely," Coulson nodded, cradling his cup of tea in his hands, "But I also know you wouldn't have helped him escape if it wasn't for something that would help him figure out whatever it is that's going to save his life."

"If he's right, then he's about to figure everything out."

"Let's hope you are, then."

* * *

Joei was clearing space in the workshop when Tony drove in.

"Pepper hates me," he said the moment he was out of the car, "And she stole my Happy. And my super secret agent assistant."

"Technically, you don't need a body guard anymore," said Joei, helping him pry the large pieces of Howard's model city out of the car and setting them on a large table. "And if you want secret agents, there's about five of them upstairs."

"Very funny." said Tony, blowing the dust off the model, "Jarvis, give me a digital wireframe. I need a manipulable projection. Josephine, I need you to do me a favor."

"What?"

"Hammer's giving his dumb presentation at the Expo tomorrow night. I need you to fly down there and see what embarrassing debacle it all turns out to be, and make sure he's not trying to steal any more of my ideas. And having somebody around Pepper to remind her that I'm not completely selfish and horrible would be nice."

"You're sending me into that potential hell hole alone? To spend the day with Angry Pepper and Handsy Hammer?"

"Well, I was planning on going, but I've been grounded by both Fury and my CEO."

Joei sighed and nodded, "Jarvis, call the pilot. Tell him I need to get to New York ASAP."

"Right away, Miss Stark."

"Dad," Joei grabbed Tony's hands to keep him from moving, "will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Yeah. It'll be fine. Just me and all my toys, building a new...whatever it is."

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?"

"You mean like failing to save my own life?"

Joei's smile faltered for half a second before she brought it back up, though her eyes were now full of unshed tears as she answered in a near whisper, "Exactly. Now get to work, Stark. I never thought I'd say this, but don't sleep tonight. Work until you've figured this out, then sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

 **February 16, 2010**

Joei closed the door to her and Tony's dressing room at the Expo and dialed home as quickly as her fingers would allow.

"Talk to me, kiddo."

"Please tell me you have something."

"I have something."

"Really? What's that sound?" asked Joei as a screeching noise rang in her ear.

"That is me building a particle accelerator."

"A what now?"

"It's an element, Joei," Tony panted from the other side of the line, "The missing piece to the arc reactor, Howard's big discovery, is a new element meant to power the arc reactor. I'm thinking of naming it Starktonium."

"You're naming an element after yourself?"

"No. I'm naming it after you."

"Then why not use my first name?"

"Because Josphonium sounds totally lame," said Tony, "So does Margaretonium."

"Dad, will this new element really work?" Joei asked, chewing on her lip.

"Howard was sure it would. Jarvis ran all the tests and theory says it will work. I'll let you know when it's ready and inside my body."

"You better run some tests on it before sticking it inside your body, Dad."

"On who? I don't exactly have a guinea pig with an arc reactor in its chest and a tiny Iron Hamster suit, do I?"

"Guinea Pigs and Hamsters are two different things," Joei pointed out, "Also, I should probably update you on the situation out here."

"What's going on?"

"I don't actually know," said Joei, "Hammer is being extremely tightlipped and it has me worried. Usually he would have already rushed in here to show off whatever he has in store for tonight. But he hasn't rehearsed his presentation and when I tried to see what he was putting in the compartments underneath the stage, they were covered with screens and boxes. But I did manage to hear one of the stage engineers complaining about 'stupid army robots.'"

"Do you think he was insulting soldiers or referencing whatever Hammer made?"

"Hammer. For sure. There's one other thing. Rhodey called me earlier. He says his boss brought in Hammer to weaponize the Mark II."

"Meaning Hammer got an up close look at the reactor."

"No. Rhodey pulled it out before Hammer could get his hands on it. Which reminds me, why did you put a reactor in that suit instead of letting it adjust to your reactor like all the other ones? Were you planning on letting somebody else use it?"

Tony grunted as he worked from the other side of the line, "Well, it was supposed to be an inheritance, before he walked in and just stole it. But it's his now. I've already had my lawyers send in a contract. He's the only person authorized to handle it."

"How's the accelerator going?"

"It's," Tony paused and Joei heard something click into place, "It's ready."

Joei was not a very religious person. It came from growing up with an atheist scientific genius. In that moment, however, she couldn't help but point her eyes upward and send up a silent prayer. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she smiled into the phone, "Don't you need a lot of space to make a particle accelerator?"

"I made space."

"You broke more stuff in the house, didn't you?"

"Think of it as remodeling."

"And the materials?"

"Ah, NASA's going to have to wait a couple more days before they start on Project Pegasus."

"Where's Coulson?"

"New Mexico."

"So you're not being supervised?"

"I'm not playing in a sandbox, Josephine, I'm creating a new element that is going to save my life."

"I know."

"Give me a sec, I've got to put you on speaker."

"Okay."

"Where are you?"

"The dressing room."

"Okay, forget the speaker. Jarvis, get me on video conference."

Joei turned toward the TV in the room and was greeted with an image of the garage, now taken up by a series of long metal pipes. Her dad was standing at the center, holding on to a wheel as the accelerator powered up.

"Are you okay?"

"It's a little harder than I thought," Tony called, grabbing a wrench and attempting to turn the direction of the power surge. As it turned, a beam of bright blue light cut through the walls and everything else that got in it's way, "Oops."

"Is that a good sign or a bad sign?"

"I'll let you know!"

When the beam hit a small disc on the other side of the room, Tony seemed satisfied and held it in place.

"What's happening?" asked Joei, trying to squint through the beam.

"Science!"

Joei rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, "Yeah, that explains everything."

Tony switched of the beam with a loud groan form the machine. Joei focused her attention on the disc, which was now glowing at the center.

"Is that it?"

"That is it." Tony nodded, approaching the disc. He sat in front of it, blocking Joei's view, and grabbed a pair of tweezers to remove whatever was in the center, "This is a brand new, freshly manufactured, Starktonium reactor core."

"Congratulations, Sir," said Jarvis. "You have created a new element."

Joei let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and her eyes stung as Tony placed the tiny triangle of blue light inside a new arc reactor. A few seconds passed before Jarvis spoke again.

"Sir, the reactor has accepted the new core element. I will begin running diagnostics."

"Dad?" Joei nearly whispered. Tony looked up at the screen.

"Yeah?"

"You're going to be okay," she smiled as the tears she had been holding in for days finally began to fall, resulting in a watery but relieved laugh "You're going to be okay."

"I wouldn't leave you without putting up a fight first, kid."

* * *

"Miss Stark, Miss Larson, right this way," said the usher as the girls entered the main pavilion that night.

"Larson? I thought it was Graham." Joei muttered at Caitlin.

"It's an alias." said Caitlin, "Like Natalie Rushman."

"Right," said Joei.

"So, where's that friend of yours you keep telling me about?"

"James?" asked Joei, "I'm not sure. He texted me earlier saying he'd be here but I haven't seen him all day."

"Looking for someone, Miss Stark?"

"Jimmy!" Joei turned around and hugged the much taller boy, "How's school?"

"Not the same without you," he smiled and shrugged.

"Here," said Joei, handing him a special pass on a lanyard, "This will allow you backstage and into the VIP sections. Come on, I had them save you a seat with us."

The three of them made their way towards the front, taking their seats next to Pepper and Natasha.

"Hey, girlies."

"Hey yourself," smiled Pepper, sending Joei a wink when she noticed James, "Looking good."

"You, too, Pep. How long do you think we'll have to suffer through Hammer speaking?"

"Not too long, I hope. Maybe ten minutes." said Pepper as the announcer began his introduction of Justin Hammer.

"Please, I wouldn't wager anything under fifteen," said Joei.

"Winner gets a pair of Jimmy Choos."

"You're on." said Joei, pulling out her phone to set up the stop watch as Hammer began his presentation. She found that she had seven missed calls from her dad, and a text message from ten minutes ago.

 _Vanko's in line with Hammer. Expo not safe. Get people out. I'm on my way._

Joei nudged Caitlin urgently and had her read the text message.

"Pepper," she whispered as Hammer made a joke that no one laughed at, "We have to go."

"What?"

"We have to go, it's not safe here."

"Joei, I can't just get up and leave in the middle of this presentation."

"Pep, please," said Joei.

"Do you know how that would look?"

Joei turned instead to Pepper's assistant, shoving the cell phone into the woman's line of sight, "Agent Romanoff, please. This entire crowd is in danger. We have to move. I'm going to go find a way to stop this."

From the stage, the music picked up pace and Hammer raised his voice, "The Hammer drones!"

"Oh no he didn't," Joei's teeth churned as she turned to the stage, standing up and grabbing Caitlin and James to go with her. The stage opened up to reveal eight drones for each branch of the military, each with a bright circle in the center of its chest.

Joei, Caitlin, and Jimmy rushed toward the backstage, pushing through people who had crowded near the sides of the stage.

"Miss, you need a pass to get through." said a security officer.

"This is MY Expo, you idiot!" said Joei, "You need a pass to get through me!"

"Colonel James Rhodes!"

"What?!" Joei turned to the stage as the front of it opened to reveal the Mark II. Furious, she turned back to the cowering security guard, "Move!"

"Y-yes, Miss Stark," the guard stuttered, having recognized her at last.

"You're a little scary when you get angry," said Jimmy.

"Caitlin, give me my bluetooth," Joei held out her hand to receive the earpiece from Caitlin. Putting it quickly in her ear, she ordered Jarvis to call her dad.

"Hey, I'm kind of about to open a can of whoop-ass on Hammer so..."

"You're here already?"

"Almost."

"So you can see what is on that stage?"

"Yep. Landing in three, two, gotta go."

Joei rushed to the wings of the stage to see her dad land directly in front of Rhodey and a very confused and irritated looking Justin Hammer.

"Jarvis, give me ears on the suits."

"Yes, Miss Stark."

"Caitlin, go get my laptop from the dressing room."

"Yes, Miss Stark."

"Connection established, Miss Stark," said Jarvis.

"There are civilians here, we can't do this right now." came Rhodey's voice from the Mark II.

Iron Man stood next to the Mark II, "Wave at them."

Hammer stepped forward, pretending that it was all part of the show.

"These people are in danger, we need to get them out of here," said Tony. "I need you to trust me."

"I tried trusting you and you beat me up at your house."

"In his defense," said Joei, "You started it."

"Joei, how can you hear us?" asked Rhodey.

"She has a direct line into any of the suits from her phone, laptop, car, and just about any piece of tech she can get her hands on," explained Tony, "Listen, I think he's working with Vanko."

"So do I," said Joei.

"Vanko's alive?"

Tony stepped forward, approaching Hammer, "Where is he?"

"What?"

"Where is Vanko?"

"Who?"

"Tell me."

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh no, no, no, what's happening?" said Rhodey.

"Rhodey? What is it?"

Silence.

Caitlin appeared at her side, laptop in hand.

"Joei, look."

Joei grabbed the laptop, which was already displaying signatures from both suits, only to find that the Mark II was offline.

"Dad, somebody is overriding Rhodey's suit. I can't see or hear him." Joei looked back at the stage and found that one of the Mark II's weapons was pointed straight at Tony.

"I can't move! I don't have control over the suit," Joei made out Rhodey's voice from the receiving end of her dad's suit.

"Jimmy," Joei turned to her friend, "Please tell me you can hack whoever is hacking me."

"I can try," said James, holding out his hands to take the laptop and moving toward a table to the side.

"Dad, get out of there!" Joei yelled into her earpiece as the suits directed their blasters at Tony.

"Getting out!" said Tony as the crowd began to run out of the pavilion in panic.

Joei grabbed a walkietalkie off the closest security guard and yelled into it as the glass ceiling came raining down on the crowd, "This is Josephine Stark ordering an immediate evacuation of all civilians! Open all emergency exits!"

"Joei whoever is doing this is a lot smarter than me!" Jimmy called out, his hands flying over the keys.

"Keep trying! I need control on Rhodes!" said Joei, turning on her bluetooth again, "Dad, the suits are flying after you!"

"Jarvis, help Joei's friend get Rhodes back!" said Tony.

"Yes, Sir."

"Communications are back on!" said Jimmy, "Still no control over the suit."

"Tony, I'm engaged, I have target!" Rhodey's voice reappeared.

"What is it?"

"It's you!"

Joei listened in horror as the sound of rapid fire came in through both men's comms.

"Dad!"

"Still alive!"

"Joei, look," said Caitlin.

Down a flight of stairs, Hammer was approaching his system operators, with Pepper and Agent Romanoff fast approaching.

"Come on!" Joei grabbed her two friends, Jimmy still working fast on the laptop as Joei led him down.

"Who blocked your access to the system?" Pepper was demanding.

"Pepper, please step away..."

"Don't you dare tell her to step away!" Joei snarled, "There are flying robots on a rampage outside, I want to know why!"

"Everything is under control." said Hammer.

"Under _whose_ control, Hammer?!"

Agent Romanoff and Caitlin both placed hands on Joei's shoulders, whispering at her to stay calm.

"How can I stay calm?" Joei hissed at Caitlin.

"Look," said Hammer, "If Tony hadn't showed up then this wouldn't be happening. I need you to step away please."

Natasha's hand left Joei's arm as Hammer leaned down to whisper at his tech team. Before they could answer, Natasha grabbed Hammer and shoved him against the desk, twisting his arm.

"Who did this? Who's behind it?"

"Is that the Black Widow?" Jimmy whispered, looking up momentarily from the laptop. Joei nodded, smirking as Natasha twisted Hammer's arm even farther.

"Ivan! Ivan! Ivan Vanko!"

"Where is he?"

"In my lab."

"Go!" Joei yelled at Natasha.

"You, come with me," said Natasha, grabbing James by the shirt sleeve and dragging him off.

Pepper took out her phone and called the police amidst Hammer's protests.

"Cait, make sure he doesn't go anywhere," said Joei, shoving Hammer out of the way so that Pepper could speak to the technicians.

Caitlin pulled out a set of handcuffs from her clutch.

"I can do everything Natalie can do," Caitlin warned, "So either cooperate and these can go on painlessly, or I can hurt you."

Hammer lifted his hands above his head with a groan, and Caitlin handcuffed one of his wrists to the stairs.

"Dad, how are you holding up?" asked Joei.

"No hits so far, but the drones are tearing this place apart."

"Natasha's on her way to Vanko. She'll get you back on controls."

"Ha! I got one!" Tony whooped from the air.

"Only 31 more to go," said Joei.

"Thanks, sweetheart. That is very reassuring."

"Pepper, anything?" asked Joei.

"We're being completely controlled..." one of the technicians started.

"Well you better figure out how soon," said Joei, moving toward a set of computers used to power the lights and stage and sitting down, "Caitlin, where's the flashdrive?"

Caitlin shoved the drive into a port on one of the computers, bringing up the heads up display along with vitals, her dad's face, and a map.

"Give me heat signatures on that map, Jarvis. And give me a line to Romanoff."

"Rushman." a clipped voice answered after one ring.

"Natasha, how's it going on your end?"

"We're on the way to Vanko."

"Jimmy?"

"I still can't get into the suit's controls but I can get you eyes and ears." he answered.

"Then get them," said Joei, her eyes flickering to the map on one of her screens as it lit up with heat signatures. "Dad, you need to take the fight somewhere else, this place is still crawling with civilians. Head west."

"On it."

"Not through the freeway!"

"Sorry."

"Guys," said Rhodey, "There's a group headed back to the Expo."

"Got it."

"I'm in Hammer Industries," said Natasha over the comms.

"Where's Jimmy?"'

"In the car." he replied, "You should have eyes on Rhodes in...now. You've got them now."

Another one of the screens lit up, allowing Joei to see what Rhodey was seeing on his head's up display.

"Rhodey, that's a lot of ammo!" Joei's voice squeaked in panic.

"I know. Tony, be careful."

Joei watched from Rhodey's suit as the blasts hit the cars below.

"Oh, that's going to cost a fortune to clean up," said Hammer from his spot near the stair rail.

"Your fortune, to be precise," said Joei, "You can expect a full lawsuit tomorrow."

"Excuse me?"

"You broke a convict out of jail, helped him feign his death, and hired him to replicate my father's private property! You're his accomplice, the drones are under your name, and they're destroying half the damn city! And you broke my Expo!"

Before he could answer, eight more drones flew off the stage.

"Pepper, anything?" Joei asked from behind her computer.

"Miss, every group of drones communicates through a different language." said the technician.

"Well, pick one and focus on it," ordered Pepper.

"Have you tried Russian yet? Try Russian." said Hammer.

"Romanoff? What's your status?" asked Joei.

"Busy!" the agent grunted, then spoke again a few seconds later, "All set. Headed into the lab."

"Dad?"

"Things are about to get a lot wetter."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Rhodey called, but Tony paid him no attention.

Joei watched from the screen as Tony's suit made calculations, and he flew straight into the giant metal globe that was the nucleus of the Expo, cutting his turns so sharply that half a dozen drones flew into the inside of the African continent, setting the globe ablaze.

"Rhodey, are you okay?" asked Joei.

"Fine. Fine. Ow."

"Vanko's gone," said Natasha through her comm.

"Then get in there and get Rhodes back online. Fullerton, go help her."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Call me ma'am again and I'll throw your baseball hats in a wood chipper."

"Call me Fullerton again and..."

"This is not the time for flirting!" Tony chastised. "Rhodes, buddy, where are you?"

"Incoming!" Joei yelled, just a second before the Mark II crashed into Tony's suit and they fell through a dome into the Japanese gardens.

"Tony!" Rhodes yelled as his suit pinned Tony to the ground and shot at a space beside his head.

"I have access," said Natasha.

"Push him off!" Joei yelled, and Tony did just that as Rhodey's suit lost power.

"He's been rebooted," said Natasha, her appearing on the side of one of Joei's screens, "You've got your friend back, Stark."

"Thank you, Agenet Romanoff."

"Everything is perfect with the new reactor and it seems to give you a lot more energy, your vital signs look promising," said Natasha. Joei could see a small smile playing on the agent's lips as she laughed in relief.

"Yes, for the moment I am not dying. Thank you."

"What do you mean you're not dying? You were dying?" asked Pepper, walking up to Joei's screen to see Romanoff and Tony. Pepper turned to Joei, "He was dying?"

Joei's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed. "I...he..well."

"Tony, you were dying?"

"Wha...no! I mean, not anymore."

"What is happening to you?"

"I was going to tell you, I didn't want to scare you."

"You were going to tell me that you're dying, Tony?"

"You didn't exactly give me a chance to..."

"Why didn't you tell me, Tony?"

"I was going to make you an omelette and tell you!"

"This is not the time for flirting!" Joei repeated Tony's words.

"You can argue on your honeymoon," said Natasha, "You have company, Tony. I think someone is looking for you."

"Thank you. Pepper..."

"Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine. Don't be mad. I'll apologize..."

"Yes, I am mad."

"I'll apologize when I'm not defending myself from an attack of Hammerroides."

"Hammer Drones," Hammer corrected.

"No one cares," said Caitlin.

"We could have been in Venice," said Tony.

"Oh, for the love of God." Pepper rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to wake up Rhodey now and come up with a plan," said Tony.

"Yeah, go do that," said Joei, turning away from the screens to rub her temples momentarily, "What have I got myself into? I could be drinking beer at a frat party at UCLA right now. I could be on a date with a Stanford guy. I could be at Oxford, reading the newspaper over tea. But I wanted to be a part of a superhero team."

"Uh, ladies? We have company out here." said Tony.

Joei whipped around and found Tony and Rhodey surrounded by drones.

"What happened to coming up with a plan?"

"Yeah, it didn't happen. We can take them, though."

"Good luck," said Joei, "Kick some ass, boys."

"When this is over, we really need to talk about your language skills."

"Just shoot the damn drones."

"Okay."

The two men managed to take out half of the drones in a matter of minutes.

"Dad, now's a good time to bring out the lasers."

"Rhodes, get down!"

Red laser beams charged out through each of the Iron Man's arms, slicing through the drones that surrounded them.

"You probably should have brought that out first."

"It only works once," Joei explained, "Oh, look, the cops are here."

"Arrest this man," said Pepper, pointing at Hammer. Caitlin released him from the handcuffs so that the police could place their own on him.

"I'm just trying to help."

"I think you've tried enough," said Pepper.

Hammer laughed and shook his head, "Oh, I get it. I know what you're doing, Pepper. You're trying to put the blame on me. That's right, good job. You're starting to think like a CEO. You're eliminating the competition. Well done. You think you're giving me problems? I'm going to give you problems, Pepper Potts. We'll see each other a lot sooner than you think!"

"Threatening my CEO's life!" Joei yelled, "That's one more charge, Hammer!"

Pepper was watching as Hammer was pulled away, a strange look on her face. Joei approached the older woman and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, are you okay?"

Pepper took a deep breath and shook her head, "No. But now is not the time to break down. We need to hurry up the evacuation."

"Should we call for back up, ma'am?" asked one of the officers.

"Yes," said Pepper, "Come with me. I'll show you what needs to be done. Joei, Caitlin, come on."

"We'll be right there. Dad?" Joei turned to the screens, "Will you be good for now?"

"We're all clear here. Get out of there."

"Okay, I'll stay on my phone line. Romanoff? Jimmy?"

"We're here," said Natasha, "We'll keep a lookout for anything else until S.H.I.E.L.D or the police show up."

"Good. Jimmy? How are you holding up?"

"Scared out of my pants," Jimmy chuckled, "But I'm okay. You should get out of there, Joei."

"The place is safe now," said Joei, shutting down the screens and making her way outside with Caitlin, but keeping the communication lines going through her bluetooth, "I'm going to help the police and emergency crew evacuate, and check for anybody who might be hurt."

"I'm staying here until the whole place is emptied out," said Pepper from the main entrance.

"Caitlin and I are heading toward the observation deck. It took some serious hits and there could be people trapped on the top levels."

"Attention, you have another incoming drone," said Natasha, "This one looks different. It's got a lot more repulsor energy."

"He's also very big," said Tony, "Aaaand it's Vanko. Of course."

"This is going to get ugly." said Rhodey, "I've got something special for Vanko. I'm going to blow his bunker with the ex-wife."

"With the what?" Tony and Joei asked at the same time.

Joei listened as something whirred and sparked before taking off, only to hit something with a small, anticlimactic clang.

"HammerTech?" asked Tony.

"Yeah."

"My turn."

"Be careful, Dad."

"Always am."

"Jarvis, tell me what's happening," said Joei as she and Caitlin made their way toward the ruined observation deck. In the distance, they could make out police cars and ambulances arriving.

"Both Sir and Mr. Rhodes have sustained minimal damage to their suits. Vanko now has them both in choke holds."

"With those tentacle thingies?"

"Yes, Miss Stark."

"Rhodes, I think I have an idea," said Tony, "You want to be a superhero?"

"What?"

"High five. Put your hand up," said Tony.

"That's your idea?"

"If you can blow up a house, you can blow up a crazy guy's suit!" Joei yelled into her bluetooth, "Do it!"

"Ready?"

"Now!"

Joei had to remove her device at the sound of the blast. She could hardly make out the garden from her place amidst the rubble, but a familiar glow lit up the sky.

"Dad? Rhodes?"

"He's down," said Rhodey. "We got him."

"Miss Stark, heat scans show that the observation deck and surrounding areas have been fully evacuated." said Jarvis.

"Anywhere else?"

"Other than police and Miss Potts, you are the only ones remaining within the Expo's interior." said Jarvis.

"Thank you, Jarvis," said Joei, taking Caitlin's arm and leading her toward Pepper, "Come on."

"The suits are rigged to blow! The suits are rigged to blow!" Rhodey called out.

Caitlin and Joei took one look at each other and ran, as the remains of drones around them began to light up red.

"I'm coming for you!" Rhodes yelled, "Tony, get Pepper!"

Joei looked upward, seeing no sign of Rhodey or either of the suits and kept running.

"Grab on!" Rhodes yelled behind them as his arm wrapped around the two of them.

"Oh my god!" Joei yelled, shutting her eyes and grabbing as tight as she could to the suit's arm. Next to her, Caitlin's arms were wrapped tightly around Rhodey's neck as the suits exploded below them. The ride lasted only a few more seconds before Rhodey set them gently down on top of a building.

"Joei, you can let go now," said Rhodey.

Joei kept her eyes shut and shook her head.

"You're on solid ground. Let go."

Slowly she opened her eyes and caught sight of the floor, quickly falling down to it on all fours as her breath came out in loud gasps. Her chest felt tight and constricted and she couldn't hear anything above the roaring in her ears.

"What's happening to me? Am I dying?" she gasped, "I can't get up. I can't get up! What's wrong with me?"

"You're having a panic attack," Rhodey explained, "It's okay. You're okay."

"Where's my dad?" she gasped, beginning to hyperventilate, "Where is he? Dad! DAD!"

"I'll go get him, it's okay." said Rhodey, "I'll go get your dad. Caitlin, can you take care of her for a second?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be right back."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Ohmygod ohmygod."

"Joei, breathe," said Caitlin, rubbing the younger girl's back.

"I can't do this. I can't. I can't do this. Tell Nick Fury I can't do this. This is crazy! I don't want this. S.H.I.E.L.D who? I've never heard of them? Take me off the list."

"Joei, it's going to be okay."'

"I am never flying again!" she said hysterically, "Never! Where's my dad?! Where's Pepper?!"

"Rhodey went to go get them," said Caitlin gently, "They're okay. Look, here they come."

"Where?" Joei finally looked up, her breath still sounding shallow and fast but no longer in danger of her suffocating to death. "Dad! What took so long?"

"Well, I had to separate them," said Rhodey, "They were making out."

"They were..." Joei looked from her dad to Pepper, and then back to her dad. They both looked sheepish, but neither denied it as Joei shakily stood back up, "You kissed?! You...I'm dizzy."

Caitlin wrapped an arm around Joei's waist to steady her, "She's kind of in shock. I think all the yelling and the panic caught up to her. She'll be okay."

"Hey, my car was destroyed in the explosion so I'm going to be borrowing the suit for a while," said Rhodey.

"Ummm, I don't think so," said Tony, "I don't like that idea."

"That wasn't a question," said Rhodey, firing up the repulsors and shooting off into the sky.

Joei felt her stomach churn just looking at him fly off.

"So, you girls think it's time to head home?" said Tony.

"No flying," Joei answered decidedly. "We are taking the stairs."

"You can hardly stand," said Tony, "I'll carry you."

"My feet do not leave the floor!" Joei said hysterically.

"Stairs it is then," said Tony, "Oh, and Miss Potts, I'm afraid your request to quit has been denied. You're stuck with us."

* * *

 **So that's chapter 8, and most of Iron Man 2 concluded. This story still has a long way to go before we reach Avengers, though, so stick around. And of course, your reviews and ratings are welcome :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yay new chapter! I am extremely excited for the rest of this story. There will be quite a few chapters to come between now and the story line from the Avengers (which will be the third installment of this series), so expect a lot of character development from Joei. This chapter will be a transition of sorts.  
Just like in the MCU, all the parts before the events of the Avengers are a way to set up a much bigger universe, and I can't wait for you all to see how Joei grows and fits into this wonderful world.**

 _ **Disclaimer: As always, I am taking this world that belongs to other people and using it without any lucrative intentions.**_

* * *

 **February 17, 2010**

Joei woke for the third time that morning to the beeping of a heart monitor. She'd only made it down half a flight of stairs last night before passing out, which had prompted Tony to fly her to the hospital immediately.

The first time she had awaken had been at five in the morning, and Pepper and Tony had been dozing on the couch across from Joei's hospital bed, their fingers intertwined. They'd looked so exhausted, with Pepper still in her cocktail dress and heels, that Joei had decided not to wake them up and went back to sleep herself. The second time had been at seven, and Pepper had walked in with Jimmy, holding two coffee cups each, and had shaken Tony awake just seconds after Joei had opened her eyes.

A look at the clock told Joei that it was now ten thirty-seven.

"Feeling better?" a voice asked from the window. Joei turned her head slowly to find Agent Romanoff dressed in jeans and a brown leather jacket, her fiery hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a manila folder in her hand.

"Hi. Yeah. Better than when I came in, at least."

"What's the diagnosis?"

"A stress induced anxiety attack. I was also dehydrated and apparently haven't been eating well. They had me doped up all night and the IV has been pumping electrolytes into me like a damn Olympian. But I'll live."

"Good," said Natasha, "The world wouldn't be the same without the two Starks. Just don't tell your dad I said that."

"What's in the file?" asked Joei.

"A couple of reports for you. Banner went to Culver yesterday. He's staying in that area so we think he must be looking for some of his old research."

"Looking for a cure?"

"Most likely. He's been in contact with someone named Mr. Blue."

"How mysterious. Any news on Rogers?"

"Nothing yet," Natasha shook her head, placing the file on the side of the bed near Joei's hand, "My analysis is also in there."

"On my dad?" asked Joei.

Natasha nodded, "He'll see it tomorrow. My cover is blown, your dad's not dying, and Fury is placing me on Banner Duty. Fullerton wanted to stick around but Barton made him go back to school."

"Barton was here?"

"About an hour ago right after Pepper and your dad went to give their statement to the press. He figured it was better to let you sleep."

"Where's Barton now?"

"New Mexico."

"Anything I need to know about?"

Natasha shrugged, "Probably not. It was some sort of weather anomaly last I heard."

"Hmm...well, I should be out by this afternoon, but you'll probably be gone by then." said Joei, "I hope you have a safe trip, Agent Romanoff, it was a pleasure working with you."

"Likewise, Miss Stark."

"Maybe we'll see each other soon."

"Maybe."

With one last nod, the redhead walked out of the room, the door giving a soft click behind her. Joei took the folder in her hand and read over the evaluation. Words like narcissism, compulsive behavior, and volatile stuck out at her, making her giggle and shake her head. When she reached the bottom of the assessment, however, her smile dropped. _Evaluation for recruitment into Avengers Initiative: Iron Man yes, Tony Stark do not recommend._

A knock sounded on her door and Joei quickly shoved the file beneath her mattress.

"Come in!"

Pepper and Tony entered, dressed in their work clothes from spending half of the morning issuing statements and making calls, followed by the doctor.

"Alright, Miss Stark, it looks like you only have a few minutes to go before your electrolytes run out and then you are free to go."

"I brought you some clothes," said Pepper, holding up a tote bag.

"I brought snacks." said Tony, holding up a Seven Eleven bag, "All healthy stuff, as per the doc's instructions."

"Miss Stark, I realize you're life style may not always allow for home cooked meals, but try to cut back on the pizza and burgers and have a few more fresh vegetables and non-processed foods. Just because you aren't gaining weight doesn't mean that you're receiving the right nutrition. I've also prescribed something to keep you from having another panic attack. Only take it when your body and mind are under severe stress for now, and try to avoid stressful situations as much as possible."

"With all due respect, Doctor, my dad's Iron Man. Stress-free isn't exactly our motto," said Joei.

"Yes, I know," the doctor laughed, "But just try to avoid the line of fire and don't try to do everything at the same time. Being a teenager in college is stressful enough. Take good care of yourself, Miss Stark, because there's only one of you."

* * *

 **February 18, 2010**

"Witnesses report that the enclosed bridge connecting the two buildings was abruptly closed off by military and began to fill with a strange gas, before the large, green humanoid creature that many have begun referring to as a 'Hulk' came crashing out of the bridge onto the campus lawn. Whether the creature has human origins or not has not been revealed."

A knock on the door made Joei turn off the TV and look through the peephole to find her dad standing right outside her hotel room.

"Ready?" Tony asked when she opened the door.

Joei slipped on her shoes and grabbed her purse and door key, "Do we get to go home after this?"

"Straight home," said Tony, "You know, if you're not up for it, you can stay here until the ceremony is over."

"Never in a million years," Joei laughed as they made their way toward the elevator, "I want to see the look on Senator Stern's ugly face when he has to congratulate you on your bravery and the great service you gave to this country."

"Yeah, that's going to be something alright."

Joei stepped closer to Tony and wrapped her arms around his waist, "I'm so glad that you're okay."

"I know," said Tony, his chin resting on the top of her head, "You only say it ten times a day."

"Well, knowing that my dad isn't dying is sort of a relief. But in the case that it ever does happen again, you'll tell me, right?"

"Right. No more secrets."

"Right." Joei nodded.

As the elevator let them out on the basement parking level, Joei felt her S.H.I.E.L.D issued phone buzz in her pocket. As Tony and Happy greeted each other and climbed into the front of the car, she glanced at the message from the back seat.

 _From: Phil Coulson_

 _Emergency mass meeting. Roswell, NM. Coordinates attached. Tomorrow. Nine a.m. All project and team coordinators must report._

Joei sighed, already thinking of a good alibi to explain her absence for an entire day. This new No Secrets Policy was getting harder and harder to keep already.

* * *

 **February 19, 2010**

S.H.I.E.L.D's Roswell Base was a large compound with winding hallways ending in larger than life rooms, all lined with stairwells. Joei was quickly pointed in the right direction upon entering, and caught up with the rest of the Agents who had been called to the meeting as they shuffled through the corridors carrying similar black files.

Joei felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"Agent Barton," she smiled, "You didn't scare me this time, how courteous of you."

"I figured having you scream bloody murder in the middle of a Secret S.H.I.E.L.D Compound wouldn't go down too well with all the big bosses that are dropping in for a visit."

"Are you stationed here?"

"For now," Barton nodded. "I'm following up on a Mission."

"Puente Antiguo?" asked Joei.

"You read the file," Barton looked impressed, "Most of these people don't even open it. They figure Fury will cover the important parts."

"I like knowing more than most of the people in the room," said Joei with a shrug, "Are you going in?"

"Looks like it," said Barton, "Come on, it's this way. Natasha should be saving us seats."

They walked through intimidatingly large double doors into what must have been a storage room, but was currently full of chairs to accommodate at least two hundred people. Joei followed Barton to the fourth row of seats, where Agent Romanoff was doing a full split to cover three chairs with her legs, and scowling at anyone who moved in the general direction of those chairs. Whispers echoed through the large room as Natasha allowed Joei to sit in one of the chairs.

Looking around, Josephine realized that she was the youngest person there, by a considerable amount. The person who looked closest to her in age was Agent Romanoff, who had to have been in her mid to late twenties. Other than them, there were a few thirty-somethings, while the majority of the room's occupants were at least forty.

"Just one more reason to feel overwhelmed," Joei muttered.

"You're mumbling again," said Barton.

"If I talk to myself at a normal volume, people will think I'm crazy."

"Talking to yourself in general is a sign of being crazy," Barton countered.

"It's been scientifically proven that people who talk to themselves tend to statistically have higher I.Q.s. I'm not crazy, I'm just smarter than you."

"You two are ridiculous. Now shush, Fury's here." said Natasha.

Fury was standing at the front of the room, on a raised platform where everybody could see him. Only a few paces behind him on his right stood Maria Hill, stoic as ever. On his left was Coulson, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Good morning. As you all know, S.H.I.E.L.D has had no shortage of work since the year began. Brazil, Monaco, Malibu, the Stark Expo, Culver University. And now, the tiny, hardly on the map, town of Puente Antiguo, New Mexico."

A rustling sound echoed against the walls as everybody straightened up in their seats.

"Five days ago, atmospheric disturbances took place in Puente Antiguo which were strong enough to catch the attention of Dr. Jane Foster, an astrophysicist from Culver University. Shortly after, the disturbances grew, leading the doctor to drive out into the desert and witness what she and her colleague Eric Selvig thought to be some sort of storm.

"The storm brought with it a man. A regular looking guy who claimed to be from another world. And shortly after that came a hammer. A big, metal hammer that nobody could move, and that created a Crater that rivaled those created by asteroids, meaning that the hammer had fallen, quite literally, from the sky. The man called himself Thor of Asgard, and claimed that the hammer was his. He broke into the compound that had been set up around the hammer, took down a dozen of our best agents, but was unsuccessful in pulling the hammer out of the ground.

"That is, until three of his friends showed up accompanied by the same atmospheric anomalies, claiming that Thor's brother was after him, and a giant robot full of fire power that goes far beyond anything that human beings could even begin to create came down and nearly blew the entire town to pieces. And if this was not enough, then I must say that the icing on the cake was watching the immobile hammer fly into Thor's hand, surround him in lightning, and magically change his flannel shirt into Asgardian war armor."

The volume in the room rose as the agents gathered talked among themselves, sounding completely surprised by the information that Josephine had already read in the file that had appeared in her bedroom last night.

"I told you, nobody reads them," said Barton.

"Except you," Natasha snorted.

"If I didn't read them back to you, you'd do it, too," said Barton.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" said Fury, immediately silencing the crowd, "What I am saying, is that we are no longer facing impossible threats from humankind alone. We are now faced with the existence of other worlds. And not only do they know we're here, but now they know how and where to find us, and they know, like I do, that we are desperately outgunned by them. None of our weapons were a match against the Destroyer. While I have been assured that the people of Asgard are of no threat to us, we can't be sure about whoever else is out there."

"Sir, are you asking us to believe in aliens?" an agent called out from the front.

"I'm not asking. I'm telling you they exist," said Fury, "And from now on, they will be our top priority. We have to learn what we can. S.H.I.E.L.D's new focus, our new direction, will be Extraterrestrial Defense. Because if they've been here once, who's to say they won't come here again?"

Noise broke out once more as agents wondered what the organization's new direction meant for their sectors and task forces.

"Some plans have already been put into action. We will be training new task forces, investigating objects which we once thought were of mysterious human origin from a new perspective, as being of possible alien origin. Whatever information we can gather on the Destroyer's remains will be used to give us the upper hand. Each of you can expect new instructions regarding research, training, task forces, and development within the next two weeks. You are dismissed."

Joei turned to Barton and Romanoff as they stood, "Something tells me that 'task force' means specifically _my_ task force."'

"The Initiative is meant to assemble a team to take on superior threats," said Natasha.

"So if there's an alien invasion tomorrow," said Barton as they walked out of the conference room, "it's on you, kid."

"With what team?" Joei snorted, "I have an Iron Man suit with no pilot because the usual one is 'not recommended,' and a big green guy who is trying to cure himself of his superpowers and is currently being hunted by the US Military. Not much of a team if you ask me."

"Let's hope the aliens hold off their next invasion for a few weeks, then," said a familiar voice behind them.

"Agent Coulson," Joei smiled, "I'd ask how New Mexico was, but Fury already covered that."

"And I'd ask how the Expo went, but I heard it was one great big mess," Coulson smirked.

"You are too good," said Joei with a shake of her head, "I should probably go. I said I was going to spend the day shopping for something to wear to the Olympics Closing Ceremony, and if I go home empty handed, Pepper will probably drag me to a designer to have something made for me, and I can't stand the idea of standing still while a stranger sticks dozens of pointy little pins dangerously close to my skin for hours."

"I thought famous people just had a bunch of dresses sent to them and they got to pick which one they wanted," said Barton, "Also, you hate any form of exercise. How do you end up being invited to that?"

"Some of us like to actually go out and look through store windows and try things on," said Joei, "As for how I got invited, Stark Industries sponsors all of the US figure skaters, skiers, and snowboarders. It's good PR and I never said I didn't like watching. Have a nice day, agents."

* * *

 **February 21, 2010**

"So you just let him go?" Joei asked incredulously. She was on a flight from Los Angeles to New York on her jet. The Expo had been shut down three days ago, and now it was time to finish cleaning up the space and figuring out what they could do with the land they had purchased.

"It wasn't exactly easy to catch a man the size of an elephant," said Coulson over the screen, "We've still got eyes on him, and we've made sure that Ross will not pick up his trail again. With the Colonel out of the way, we don't believe Banner poses any sort of threat."

"Don't lose eyes on him this time. Let me know if he settles in anywhere. Chances are, he's still looking for a cure. If he makes a stop somewhere it'll probably be to continue his research." said Joei.

"Will do. Also, I talked to Professor Gardner. He would like for you to sit in on as many of his lectures as possible. Now that your father is out of the danger zone, Barton and I were hoping you might enroll at Culver."

"Pretending to have a normal college experience for at least a few months doesn't sound so bad."

"Good, because I've already sent the paperwork and you've already been accepted. You wrote a rather impressive cover letter."

"Isn't plagiarizing your cover letter illegal?"

"We're spies. We can get away with breaking the rules every now and then," Coulson shrugged, "Your course schedule should be delivered to you soon."

"Via ninja spies?"

"Via the US Postal Service," said Coulson, "Enjoy what remains of the semester."

"Thank you, Agent Coulson."

"You're welcome, Agent Stark."

"Junior Agent," she corrected.

"Not for long," said Coulson with a small smile before ending the connection.

Joei leaned back and stared out the window, her fingers grazing over her mouth. She'd received an ID card the day before. It had been left in an envelope for her at the front door. Tony and Pepper were already in New York, so she'd been the only one to see the delivery. It contained the same picture as her old S.H.I.E.L.D Academy Student ID, wearing her hair pulled back and a gray long sleeve shirt with the S.H.I.E.L.D emblem on the sleeve. Next to her picture, in black block letters was STARK, JOSEPHINE M. Underneath her name, under the word Title, were the words Trainee Field Officer. According to the note attached to the card, she was not yet a full fledged agent, but unlike the students of the Academy, this ID Card granted her access to some areas that would have otherwise been restricted to her, as well as showing her status as a special case trainee.

"Miss Stark, the pilot wishes me to inform you that we are now descending and will be landing shortly."

"Thank you, FRIDAY."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Stark. Please, buckle up."

Joei buckled herself into the seat and closed her eyes, hoping that at least for a few months, she would be able to be a normal seventeen year old.

* * *

 **March 28, 2010**

"Most of our natural fear conditioning is beneficial to our health and survival. If we touch a hot stove once as a child, we'll know not to do it again for the rest of our lives." Dr. Gardner was saying from the front of the class, "However, there are instances when our learned fear becomes unmanageable, and that's when psychological treatment comes in. Can anybody give me an example?"

Joei raised her hand from her seat two rows back.

"Yes, Miss Stark?"

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in veterans," answered Joei, "Patients often develop an aversion to loud noises, which can bring on anxiety attacks and flashbacks of their time in the war zone."

"That is correct. And would you happen to know the most popular form of treatment for PTSD?"

"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, sir."

"Yes." said Dr. Gardner, looking down at his watch, "Which is exactly what your assignment involves for the next class. A four page essay on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. You will find my T.A at the door with a checklist of the topics that I want you to include. Class dismissed."

Joei gathered her things and walked toward the door, taking the checklist form the teacher's aid and sliding it into the front of her school binder.

For the past month she had been staying in an apartment down the street, right across from Greek Row, and making a life as a full time college student. S.H.I.E.L.D had been in contact with her a couple of times to give her reports on the Avenger's Initiative, but so far there had been no more emergencies. She was free to live the life of a seventeen year old college student. She'd been to three parties, gone on a coffee date, and joined a study group.

Joei was pulled out of her musings when her cell phone rang with a familiar Black Sabbath song.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kiddo. How's Willowdale?"

"Suburban and smelling of coffee and frat parties," said Joei, "I love this place. I would like to stay here for the rest of my young adult life. How'd your meeting with Ross go?"

"Oh, you know, the same as always," said Tony.

"He told you to go to hell?"

"Among other things," her dad answered, "How about you? How did you get to spend your weekend?"

"I went to a sorority party," said Joei, making her way down the steps and toward the coffee cart across the quad, "A cute frat boy flirted with me, and then puked dangerously close to my favorite pair of Gucci flats. How are designs for the Tower coming along?"

"I've got the first draft of blueprints ready. Pepper said she'd take a look at them later."

"And how is Pepper?" Joei asked with a playful tone.

"Well, she hasn't threatened to kill me yet and we're still dating. So I'd say we're both doing fine."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Joei, stopping when she recognized a familiar face by the coffee cart, "Hey, Dad? I'm about to walk into my professor's office to discuss an assignment. I'll call you again later, okay? Are we still on for dinner next weekend with Pepper?"

"Sure thing. Watch out for nauseous frat boys."

"I love you."

"Love you, too, kiddo."

Joei hung up the phone and approached the line for the coffee cart. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Agent Coulson waiting for her while drinking a large coffee. Once she'd paid for and received her order, she walked over to the man.

"No tie today, Phil?"

"I thought this would blend in better," he said, motioning to the dark wash jeans and black button up shirt he was wearing.

Joei nodded, "So, my dad says his meeting with Ross went terrible. Does that mean I don't have to worry about Emil Blonsky being on my team?"

"Colonel Ross refused to hand Blonsky over. He's staying in his cell for now." said Coulson.

"I told you my dad would make him angry enough to refuse. What about Dr. Banner?"

"He's still headed toward the Canadian border. We've placed a silent agent on him to keep a close eye in case he settles anywhere. He has a cabin in British Columbia."

"Bug it. If he makes a stop and starts investigating again, I say we move in."

"The director agrees."

"Care to join me for lunch, Agent Coulson?"

"What are we having?"

"Chinese?"

"You guessed my weakness. After you, Miss Stark."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Marvel or its characters and plots.**

* * *

 **June 3, 2010**

"I'm home!" Joei yelled from just inside the front door, dumping her various bags unceremoniously on the floor of the now completely refurbished living room. The plans for the Tower and the resolution of the Expo had meant that Pepper and Tony had spent a considerable amount of time in New York the past four months, making it unnecessary for Josephine to go back to Malibu to visit them. As a consequence, the last time she had seen the mansion, including her own bedroom, it had still been ruined by the fight between Iron Man and the newly named War Machine.

"Joei!" Pepper yelled from the staircase, running toward her with her arms open wide. A few steps behind her was Tony.

Joei ran forward and hugged Pepper tightly, noticing that the older woman was in a pair of Joei's pajamas, which fit a little high above her ankles, and completely barefoot. Letting go of Pepper, she moved on to hug her dad, who was in a t-shirt and his own pajama pants.

"It's almost noon, guys," said Joei, "Why are you both wearing pjs? Wait. Forget I asked. I don't actually want to know. I love this whole relationship thing, but I'll be more than happy to think of both of you as non-sexual beings."

Pepper blushed, but laughed nonetheless.

"Sleeping," said Tony, "Pepper got me to sleep."

"For seven hours," added Pepper, looking quite pleased with herself.

Joei's jaw dropped, "Seven hours? Consecutively?"

"Mmmhmm," Pepper nodded.

"That's impressive," said Joei, "Please tell me you're staying here every night."

Pepper blushed even deeper this time, prompting Tony to answer.

"Uh, no. Pepper still has her own apartment. A newer, much bigger one than before. But she lives there and sleepovers are not a regular thing right now."

"And yet you are still alive," said Joei, winking at Pepper, "Is there any chance you two could change into some normal clothes? I'm starving. Let's go get burgers."

"The doctor said no junk food," said Pepper as Joei grabbed one of her suitcases and began the trek upstairs.

"He said to cut back on the junk," said Joei, "I haven't had pizza or burgers all week. I'm eating three square meals a day, and I've been using the campus gym. That's more than can be said for any college student in the entire country. So just for today, can I please eat an Animal Style double cheeseburger and put on one of those silly white and yellow hats that remind me of the guy from Good Burger? Pretty please?"

"Double pretty please," said Tony, directing a pout at Pepper.

"Alright," Pepper rolled her eyes, receiving cheers in response from the two Starks, "Tony, help us with these bags and then go get dressed."

"Yay!"

* * *

 **July 13, 2010**

"Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty!"

"Aaaah!" Joei groaned, letting go of the bar and letting herself fall in a heap onto the mat below, "I hate you, Caitlin!"

"Say that to your six pack the next time you look in the mirror," said Caitlin, tossing Joei a towel, "You know, the one that you got in a little over a month of physical training."

"Yeah, yeah," said Joei, wiping her face and pushing herself into a sitting position, "I hope you know that I prefer Barton's class."

"Why, because he lets you shoot things?"

"Because there is no prolonged and excruciating pain involved during _his_ three hours," said Joei, "And because he lets me shoot things."

"Don't get to comfortable," said Caitlin, taking a seat beside Joei, "I hear his next unit is on resisting torture."

"I thought that was what I was learning here," said Joei, groaning as the numbness in her arms was replaced by muscle pain and falling backward until she was lying with her knees bent on the mat.

"Hey, aside from being able to survive your mission, there is one other thing that is coming out of this: you just beat Paris Hilton in an online poll as Hottest Heiress." said Caitlin, pointing to the TV screen that was showing some silly celebrity news show.

"Please," Joei snorted, "I can beat that bitch at anything. I'm pretty sure she's on cocaine. It's only a matter of time before she gets ugly and then there will be no contest."

"That was mean."

"So was that time she called me a fake rich person, and a minority charity project." said Joei, "I'm pretty sure it was racist, too, but I don't actually know what nationality my biological parents were so..."

"I'm pretty sure if we had a TV Show, we'd also get better ratings," Caitlin laid back so that her head was resting on Joei's torso, "I'm more interesting than Nicole Richie, right?"

"You can murder a man with one hand, Caitlin," said Joei, "We'd be insanely more popular."

"And then when I decide I'm tired of your shit, we can cancel that show and I'll run off with a rock star and start a charity foundation," said Caitlin.

The room was silent for two seconds before both girls began to giggle uncontrollably. It took them a while to stop, and by the end they had both rolled over onto different mats and were clutching their sides. Joei caught her breath and looked at Caitlin seriously.

"I know you're a few years older than me," she started quietly, "But other than Jimmy and the twins, you're my only friend, Cait."

Caitlin smiled, her expression content and relaxed, "You're the only friend I have that actually knows what I do for a living. The life of a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent tends to get lonely sometimes."

"Well then let's be two less lonely Agents," said Joei with a smile.

"No homo, right?" Caitlin winked.

"All of the homo," Joei whispered back, returning the wink before both girls erupted into another fit of giggles.

"Oh, good, you're both here," Tony walked into the room, "Miss Larson."

"Mr. Stark."

"It has come to my attention that along with being a personal assistant and..." Tony looked at a page on a clipboard, "a certified personal trainer, you joined the Navy straight out of high school? And were there for six years until you decided to join a PA agency this year?"

"Yes, sir." said Caitlin, standing up quickly. Joei raised an eyebrow. She should have figured that Caitlin's cover would include an explanation for all of her skills.

"And you have training in armed combat and hand to hand combat, as well as stealth training?"

"Yes, sir."

"How would you feel about a raise, Miss Larson?"

"A raise, sir?"

"You get upped from personal assistant to undercover body guard," said Tony, "For this little lady."

"A body guard, dad?" asked Joei with a scoff, although having Caitlin around more often was not something she was against.

"You two seem to get along," said Tony, "And Caitlin has proven to be efficient and trustworthy. Tell you what, Miss Larson. You get to go to college, all paid for by yours truly, along with a much higher salary than the one you have right now. You'll be posing as Joei's assistant turned best friend turned classmate. You can go have a full college experience that I'm sure the Navy must have deprived you of, and get a degree, in exchange for throwing a few punches if anybody ever threatens either one of you. It also comes with an apartment. And health insurance."

"I don't know what to say," said Caitlin, "I mean, I'm still working for..."

"Talk it over with your agency," said Tony, referring to the personal assistant agency that he thought Caitlin was a part of, "You've got from now until August to make a decision. That's two weeks."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark."

Tony nodded, "I'll leave you to continue your workout."

Both girls turned to each other with wide eyes.

"Do you think Fury will go for it?" asked Joei, "It would make training a lot easier."

"That's true. But I wouldn't be able to take on any other missions," said Caitlin, "And I'm not sure if my S.O. will go for that. I'll call Coulson to see what he thinks."

"Would you be okay with doing it, though?" Joei bit her lip, "I don't want you to give up parts of your job that you really like just to go play college life with with me."

"Are you kidding?" Caitlin laughed, "I haven't had a vacation since I graduated from the Academy. Going to college and following you around at frat parties doesn't sound so bad after almost four years of getting shot at."

Joei rolled her eyes and laughed, "Go call Coulson. Right now. Go."

* * *

 **August 1, 2010**

"Agent Graham."

"Agent Coulson." Caitlin nodded, "Will I need to sit this one out?"

"I'm afraid so." said Coulson, "Your clearance is about two levels too low for you to join us."

"Then I will sit here and wait patiently for you to bring back my ward," said Caitlin, putting a hand on Joei's shoulder, "Do take care of her. I get paid a lot of money to make sure she doesn't get hurt."

"It's just a simple Index Asset Evaluation, nothing to worry about," Coulson insured her, walking toward the jet that was waiting for them, "This way, Miss Stark."

 _Nothing to worry about, unless our Asset gets angry and turns into a giant green rage monster,_ thought Joei as she said goodbye to Caitlin and followed Coulson toward the jet.

"Director," Joei extended her hand as soon as she saw Fury standing inside the Quinjet.

"Junior Agent Stark," Fury nodded, shaking Joei's hand firmly, "I'm sorry we were unable to bring Agent Graham along, but you understand the secrecy that this mission involves."

"Of course, Sir. And Caitlin understands, too. How will we be going about this, exactly? What if he tries to run?"

"It's ideal that he does not." said Director Fury, "If he does, we'll take care of it."

Three hours later, Joei was standing at the front door of a cabin, a motorcycle stopped a few feet behind her.

Her surroundings were beautiful, the kind that Joei had never had an opportunity to enjoy herself. She'd spent her entire life growing up in cities, mostly near the beach. Stark family getaways involved visits to France, Italy, Morocco, but never out into the wilderness. Out here the air felt cleaner, the sounds felt soothing, and the earthy colors bathed in warm sunlight felt gentler on her eyes. She could imagine coming here, completely alone, away from cameras and TV screens and cell phones, to dip her feet in the lake and listen to the birds sing and the leaves rustle. It was a break from life, from chaos, and from crowds.

Tentatively, she knocked on the wooden front door three times, taking a deep breath and hoping that things would go according to plan. The lock clicked on the other side of the door, and Joei had to remind herself to breathe as it opened, revealing a man in a charcoal gray button up and jeans. His hair was curly and long atop his head, there was a generous amount of stubble growing along his jaw, and his eyes were tired and surrounded by dark circles. From where she stood, she could see flecks of green reflecting off the brown irises, as if the brown was making an effort to drown out the green. If Joei hadn't studied this man's picture over and over and over again for so many months, she would have almost thought that she was in the wrong place.

The man before her was very different from the scientist in the photo, who had short and neat dark hair, a clean shaven and round face, bright brown eyes hidden behind squared spectacles, and an air of confidence in his work.

"Hi," said Joei when the man didn't say a word, "Um, you probably don't know who I am..."

"I know who you are," he answered softly with a slight nod. His voice was soft and smooth, like the voice that a doctor might use on a very small patient who is afraid of getting her shots, "I already answered your father's e-mails, Miss Stark, I'm not currently available to take on any new projects so-"

"I'm not here on behalf of my father," Joei cut him off. The plan was already blown, so she might as well get on with the next part, "Please, can I come in? I don't mean to bother you, but I just really need to speak to you."

The doctor sighed heavily before nodding. He opened the door a few inches farther, allowing just enough space for her to enter, and closed it quickly.

"So, what is it you would like to speak to me about, Miss Stark?"

"Josephine is fine. Or Joei."

"Josephine," he nodded, "What can I do for you?"

"Dr. Banner, I know that you're working on a cure." she said, sitting on the couch slowly.

Dr. Banner's reaction was immediate. He tensed, his foot almost suspended in the air midstep before slowly coming down. He looked like a dear caught in headlights as he slowly stepped toward the recliner next to the couch, but did not sit down.

"And you know this how?" he asked slowly.

"Dr. Banner," she said in the gentlest voice she could muster, "Before you give me a chance to explain, please know that I am of no threat to you. I know that my father can come on very strong. And I also know that our last name was plastered on the weapons that Colonel Ross used against you at Culver."

Banner flinched slightly, still not taking a seat. However, he didn't attempt to stop her, so Joei continued.

"Dr. Banner, I am very sorry for the Stark family's indirect involvement in your confrontation with the Colonel." said Joei, "I'm also very sorry for whatever my dad has been bothering you about. I would like to intervene on your behalf, but I'm afraid that he doesn't know about this visit, and he probably won't know for a while."

"You said you're not here on his behalf. Whose behalf are you on? Who else is interested in my condition?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm not with the military, if that's your concern. I'm here on behalf of my employer. Dr. Banner, have you ever heard of S.H.I.E.L.D?"

The scientist nodded, "In my experience, people who are approached by S.H.I.E.L.D tend to disappear."

"Only when it's necessary," said Joei, "We are a classified organization, which means that our activity must also remain classified. And on occasion, when things don't necessarily go as planned, identities become compromised and solutions are created."

"Are you here to make me disappear, Miss Stark?"

"No," Joei laughed, motioning at the cabin around her "You're doing a pretty good job of that yourself. No, Dr. Banner, S.H.I.E.L.D is interested in helping you. We've already managed to keep other parties off your trail. We have made sure that Emil Blonsky will not be released from him cell any time soon. We cleaned up Harlem, and made sure that Dr. Sterns does not pose a threat. We're on your side, Dr. Banner."

"So why approach me if you're already doing all of this anyway?" asked Banner, finally taking a seat in the recliner.

"This is a very nice cabin, Dr. Banner. Secluded, with plenty of space. The closest house is half a mile away and is usually unoccupied." said Joei, looking around, "The area is very well thought out for experimentation. The house itself, not so much."

"Do you always talk this much?"

"Yes."

"Is there a point to this?"

"I was getting there," said Joei, "You interrupted my dramatic interlude. Look, the point is, that if you try something on yourself, and it doesn't work, you might not hurt anybody out here, but this house is made of wood. I'm pretty sure Big And Green could knock this place down just by roaring. So we want to make it You-Proof."

"I should have let you keep talking."

"Are you in or are you out, Dr. Banner? If you agree, we bring in a few carpenters and in a week this place will be lined with the toughest metals on the planet, and will be able to survive your...what do you call him?"

"The Other Guy," said Banner, to which Joei raised an eyebrow, "What? It's what I call him in my head."

"Okay. In a week this place will be able to survive a big tantrum from the Other Guy. Just say yes. Also, we can provide you with any materials you need to continue your research."

"And if I fail?"

"We can provide help for that, too."

"There's a catch to this, isn't there? Don't lie to me, I can tell if you're lying."

Joei sighed, "If we need you, you help us the same way that we're helping you."

"You're a spy organization, Miss Stark. The Other Guy isn't exactly subtle. And he doesn't take orders very well."

"I wasn't talking about the other guy," said Joei, "I was talking about you. You're one of the modern era's most brilliant minds, green alter-ego or no green alter-ego."

The doctor was silent, leaning back in the chair with a pensive look on his face.

"Think about it," said Joei, "I'll be here with a crew in two days. You can tell us your decision then. I'll let myself out."

* * *

 **August 3** **rd** **, 2010**

"This is it?" the contractor snorted incredulously as they stood before the small wooden cabin in the middle of nowhere.

"This is it," said Joei, smiling as she stepped onto the porch. Before she could knock on the front door, she noticed the small envelope taped just above the knocker. J. Stark was written on the front of the envelope in scratchy handwriting, and she quickly untaped it and opened it. Inside she found a key, accompanied by a short note.

 _Miss Stark,_

 _It's yours. Do your worst. I'll be back to test it out soon._

Joei smiled to herself and placed the key in the door, letting out a happy giggle when it clicked open.

"Alright, boys," she said, turning back to the work crew, "Time to get to work."

* * *

 **Hellooo lovely readers. So if anyone here watches Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, you've probably already guessed what the cabin is. If you don't watch, that's okay, but it will be an important part of what's coming for this story.**

 **As always, I hope you will give me the grand gift of reviews.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello lovely readers! Today we venture into some of what Joei was doing while Tony was designing the Tower and making new suits. SHIELD Training, relationship development, and some cute moments with everybody's favorite body guard (sorry Happy).**

 **AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be darling dears and leave reviews. Tony and Joei will even answer them for you in the next chapter!**

 _ **Disclaimer: Marvel's wonderful characters do not belong to me, nor do I make any money off writing my spin on their stories.**_

* * *

 **October 12, 2010**

Joei scrunched her face against the sunlight that filtered through the curtains of her bedroom, burying her face in the pillow.

"G'morning Friday," she groaned.

"Good morning, Miss Stark. Today is Tuesday, October 12th, and it is now eight fifteen a.m."

Joei shot up into a sitting position so fast that she saw stars and had to lower herself back down.

"Caitlin is going to kill me! Friday, why didn't you wake me up? I thought I set an alarm!" Joe got out of bed at a much more normal pace and went toward the closet in search of workout clothes.

"Miss Larson asked me to turn it off and allow you to sleep in today, Miss Stark. She is currently in her bedroom getting ready to take you out for breakfast."

"Thank you, Friday."

"You're welcome, Miss Stark. Happy Birthday."

Forty minutes later, Josephine was showered, dressed, and ready to leave.

"Is Caitlin ready, Friday?"

"Yes, Miss Stark. She is waiting for you in the kitchen.

Tony had insisted that for the sake of privacy and as a job benefit for Caitlin, the two girls move into a new, much bigger home away from Greek Row. They had ended up in a neighborhood that was fairly close to campus, in a large two story apartment with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a giant living room that doubles as their gym space, and a kitchen that was far too large for either one of them, since Caitlin was the only one who could cook something without burning it. The only thing in the entire kitchen that was used every day was the coffee maker.

"Caitlin?" Joei called as she made her way down the staircase that lead to the living room.

"In the kitchen!"

Joei stepped onto the landing and turned around, only to come face to face with more people than she expected.

"Happy Birthday!"

Joei beamed, hand flying to her face. Tony, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, and Caitlin were gathered in front of the kitchen counter, bright smiles on their faces as they waved little flags with the number 18 on them.

"Surprise, Honey Bunches," said Tony as the five of them stepped sideways to reveal the kitchen counter laden with breakfast foods. In the center was a large stack of different sized waffles, covered in birthday candles and a colorful topper.

Joei laughed and ran toward her dad, embracing him tightly, "I thought I wasn't going to get to see you today!"

"Excuse me?" Tony stepped back, "What is the rule?"

Joei rolled her eyes playfully, "Birthdays are special. Always together."

"Exactly," said Tony, stepping back so that she could hug the rest of the group.

When she had hugged each of them, she turned to the large display of food, "Uh, who made all this?"

"I cut the fruit," Tony said proudly. Joei's eyes widened, wondering what else her dad had made.

Happy laughed and explained, "Rhodes and I cooked the eggs, the bacon, and the sausages. Pepper made sure your dad didn't chop off one his fingers..."

"Completely unnecessary supervision," Tony interrupted, "I work with small parts, stuff that explodes if I don't connect two tiny wires correctly, weapons of mass destruction, sharp, pointy things..."

"But you still had trouble peeling an orange," said Pepper, making Tony stop talking and pout, "Please continue, Happy."

"Caitlin made the waffles."

Joei turned to her roommate with a shocked expression on her face, "You have been letting me eat stale, underheated waffles from the campus cafe while hung over and/or sleep deprived for a month and a half!"

Caitlin shrugged, "You never want to buy groceries."

"We're going to have a serious talk about this later," Joei joked, narrowing her eyes at her friend, "But first, let's eat."

"You have to blow out your candles!" said Pepper, holding up a lighter that had been on the counter.

The doorbell rang, making the three older occupants of the room give each other confused stares.

"I may have invited some other friends of yours from Syracuse," Caitlin winked, walking toward the door and pulling it open quickly.

"Twins!" Joei yelled, running forward and throwing her arms around each of the twins.

"I'm here, too. You know, the guy who sat at your bedside when you had a nervous breakdown."

Joei tipped her head back and laughed, turning to her tallest friend for a hug, "It's good to see you, Jimmy."

"Is there still waffles? We heard there would be waffles," said Carlos, putting a wrapped up gift box in her hand and walking toward the kitchen. Jimmy handed her a box, as well, which Pepper took along with the first one and placed them on the living room's coffee table.

"Who are these people?" asked Tony, turning to Jimmy, "Not you. I know who you are. Who are they?"

"It's good to see you again, Sir," said Jimmy, extending a hand to shake with Tony. Joei's eyebrows shot up and she gave Pepper a look, which the older woman returned with a knowing smile, "These guys are Carlos and Hector, sophomores at Syracuse."

Technically they were seniors, but they were only nineteen, and looked young enough to pass for high schoolers, so the little white lie was necessary to keep Tony from getting suspicious.

"How do I tell them apart?"

"Fish hook scar is Hector," said Joei, which prompted the twin to point to his eyebrow.

"And the one with the hyperactive appetite is Carlos," Jimmy pointed to where said twin was holding up a plate and waiting for someone to give him permission to dig into the waffle cake.

"Slow down, Tweedle Dum," said Joei, "I haven't blown out my candles yet."

When the group had taken pictures and Josephine had blown out her candles, they all lounged about the living room, cartoons playing in the background while they talked in groups. Tony was talking to the wide eyed twins. By the looks of Tony's hand gestures, it was about engineering and there was no way it would end well. Rhodey and Happy were laughing at whatever was happening on the TV. Pepper was speaking to Caitlin, leaning over Caitlin's laptop and taking notes in each of their planners. Joei was sitting on a stool, finishing off her second cup of coffee which had been prepared by the twins for old times sake, when Jimmy walked away from the twins and sat next to her.

"Enjoying the surprise?"

"It's great," Joei smiled, "How did you guys even manage to get here?"

"The twins didn't have class today," said Jimmy, "And I was already in town to update Dr. Gardner's database and pick up some files from another professor. I'd tell you what the files were about, but it's classified."

Joei almost choked on her coffee. Regaining her breath, she said with a laugh, "Was that a jab at all my 'classified' moments at the Academy?"

"Maybe."

"I see," she nodded, a smile still playing on her lips, "Now that you're a real agent you have more intel than I do."

Jimmy laughed and bumped her shoulder, "To tell you the truth I have no clue what's in the stupid file. It turns out being stationed at the Hive is not as fancy as it sounds. And you probably still have more intel than I do, Miss Junior Agent."

Joei rolled her eyes, "A totally made up level."

"You're not still thinking you aren't worth it, are you?" asked Jimmy, turning seriously, "Look at you. I bet you could break the record for that stupid rock wall now. And the way you handled what went down at the Expo? You can't seriously tell me that wasn't agent material."

"I had a panic attack and was in the hospital for two days," Joei snorted.

"Well, yeah," Jimmy admitted, "But you basically ran a whole mission by yourself. You were on top of each and every one of us. You led a team."

Joei shrugged, "Honestly, right now my biggest concern isn't about whether I should or shouldn't. It's about how I''m going to tell my dad that I did."

Jimmy let out a breath through his teeth, "I can't help you there. Your dad scares the Bejeezus out of me."

Joei's laugh came out embarrassingly loud, making the rest of the room turn to look at her.

"Sorry, guys. Caitlin and Pepper, quit working and come celebrate my birthday with me. We should all take another picture before you guys have to go."

"We're working on your party plans, silly," said Caitlin.

"My what now?"

"You said we would throw a party when you turned eighteen," said Tony. "You're eighteen. Party time."

"Should we...Is that a good idea?" asked Joei, "We just got the media off our backs for the Expo fiasco."

"Which is why we should go back to our usual habits and lives and throw a party," said Tony, "And if you keep putting this off anymore I won't be able to throw you a party until you're fifty. Most kids beg their parents to throw them giant birthday bashes. You've been to a bunch of college parties so far but you haven't thrown a single one. When I was this far in college, I had already thrown two huge parties."

"I've been at this school for a month, dad," said Joei.

"Then I lied," said Tony, "I had already thrown three."

Joei turned to Rhodey, who had obviously been there. Her dad's best friend nodded, "It's true."

"We were thinking Halloween," said Caitlin, "It's still a couple weeks off. There's this giant house downtown, actually it's more like a mansion."

"It's gorgeous," said Pepper, "But it's also pretty old and in need of work. So it makes for an excellent haunted house. The rooms are really big and the windows are tall."

"We could hand out invitations and make it invitation only," said Caitlin, "Or we could just leave it open, but that would mean running the risk of pictures getting all over the internet."

"You people are crazy," said Joei, "Do whatever you think would be fun and cool and not illegal. I have one condition."

"What?"

"Dad is not allowed to dress up as Iron Man and claim that's his costume."

"But-"

"No!"

"But it is a costume! They sell it!"

"But it's not a costume on you, Dad," Joei rolled her eyes, "It's like if Pepper dressed up as a CEO. Or Rhodey dressing up like a soldier. You will go out and buy yourself a regular, decent looking costume that does not offend anyone. And don't get overly plastered either. I do not want to see videos of you puking on the grass on youtube."

"That was one time!"

* * *

 **October 31st, 2010**

"I don't want to go."

"It's your party, you have to go."

"Fine, but I won't like it." said Josephine from underneath the bed covers.

"Joei," Caitlin sighed, sitting on the edge of the younger girl's bed, "What's going on? You love parties. We go to a party every weekend. Sometimes more than one. And sometimes on school nights, too."

"I love going to other people's parties," Joei grumbled, "I don't like throwing my own parties."

"You organized that Gala in Monaco for the injured racers."

"That was different. It was a charity event." Joei sighed, sitting up and pushing her hair back, "Do I really have to go?"

"We've been through this."

"Dad's going to come over here and drag me in my pajamas if I don't, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so, honey," Caitlin nodded, "Now will you please tell me why you don't want to throw a party?"

Joei flung herself back into the bed dramatically, her voice coming muffled from the pillows, "Our parties end in disaster."

"What?" Caitlin chuckled.

"I tried to throw a Sweet Sixteen and my dad almost gets killed. My dad throws a Valentine's Day Party and he almost gets killed. We tried throwing a year long science party, and my dad almost gets killed. The moral of the story is: 'Don't throw parties. Tony will get killed.'"

"Now you're just being dramatic," Caitlin shook her head in disapproval, "Get out of this bed. Get dressed. Nothing will go wrong tonight. Your dad is not going to be killed. Now, come on. I heard the entire Lacrosse Team is going to be there."

"All of them?" Joei perked up.

"All of them RSVP'd," Caitlin nodded, "Rumor has it they're all going dressed as firemen."

Joei shot out of bed comically then, "I am suddenly feeling so much better!"

Caitlin laughed and began to exit the room, "I knew you would. Now get that costume on so I can do your makeup, Miss Zombie Nurse."

Tony and Pepper arrived an hour later dressed as a flapper and a gangster, with Pepper donning a blonde bob wig.

"That shirt goes with pants underneath it, right?" asked Tony when Joei stood up from the counter where Caitlin had just done her makeup.

"It's a dress," said Joei, pointing at the hem that was far from too short, "And it goes with fishnets."

"Fishnets? Those are see through, right? So, not pants."

"No. Not pants."

"Tony, it is not that short," said Pepper, "Unless she bends far enough to stick her head in the dirt, there is no risk. You look great, sweetie."

"Thank you, Pepper. Are we ready to go?"

Tony wore a scowl halfway to the party, until Pepper whispered something in his ear and his expression changed to one of wonder. Josephine pretended not to notice.

* * *

 **November 4, 2010**

"What do you see?"

The question came through the communication device in Joei's ear. She sighed and squinted through her binoculars once more.

"Dirt. Rocks. Casinos in the distance. More dirt. More rocks."

Through the comms, she could almost hear her Superior Officer rolling his eyes.

"You know, this would be a lot easier if you told me what I'm supposed to be looking for."

Silence.

"You have no idea what we're looking for, do you?"

"Suspicious behavior."

"It's Las Vegas." Joei deadpanned. The sound of rock being disturbed made her cast a glance behind her, only to find Agent Barton climbing up the hill to lie on his stomach next to her.

"You're not supposed to talk this much during a stakeout."

"There is only one thing in this world that I love more than clothes, Agent Barton," said Joei, looking through her binoculars again at the road below, "And that's the sound of my own voice. Besides, I get the feeling that your whole silent and broody act is exactly that: an act. You probably spend your days off wearing flannel and fishing or plowing fields, talking the ears off your pet dog."

"How did..."

"You have a farmer's tan," said Joei. "And you wear Dad socks."

"Dad socks?"

"White tube socks that come in plastic packs of ten," she explained. "So I'm aware that you're not as hardcore as you pretend to be in your downtime."

"How observant."

"Apparently being observant is on my job description," she said, before suddenly grabbing Barton's binoculars and pointing them to the right of the road, "Suspicious black SUVs coming in from off-road."

"It's always black SUVs," Barton muttered, holding his wrist closer to his mouth, "Coulson, you've got company."

Joei couldn't hear Coulson's answer through her own comm, but a moment later two more SUVs joined the procession, blending in perfectly.

"Was that us?"

"That was us."

"Now what?"

"The undercover team does their thing, and we sit here and wait for Nat's extraction signal."

"What's the signal?"

"You'll know when you see it. It'll come form the Luxor."

The sun was beginning to set as they settled into a sitting position, looking out into the strip of casinos as their lights flickered on one by one.

"If things go south," Barton said after an hour of no activity, "We might have to go in there with them. How good is your undercover?"

"You mean how well can I not stand out in a city that's full of paparazzi and a ton of my dad's friends?" she asked sarcastically, "Especially at the Luxor, where Criss Angel and his entire family spend their time? As in the same family that invites us over for Easter BBQ's every year? Yeah, not happening, Agent Barton."

"The sass in that answer was unnecessary," said Barton, "How did your nannies ever handle you?"

"None of them lasted very long," Joei smirked.

"You are incredibly spoiled."

"I am aware of that."

"Alright, so if things go south, you stay here and I go in."

Joei nodded and they didn't speak again for another hour. Joei was sure that they were allowed to speak to pass the time as long as they didn't take their eyes off the pyramid shaped casino, but she was also sure that Barton was testing her patience in the literal sense. In the three times that she had gone out into the field with him, she had learned that just about everything she did was a test to Barton. He was trying to figure out every single detail about her as an agent, just as she was trying to figure out the details of him as a regular human being.

Finally, after another half hour of total silence, she cracked.

"So, what are they looking for down there?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Barton smirk slightly to himself. The bastard.

"There have been two bombings with extreme heat signatures, over three thousand c's. Anybody or anything close by vaporizes and leaves a shadow. It's like they set off miniature atomic bombs. You wouldn't have something like that in your R&D's basement, would you?"

"Not that I know of," Joei shook her head and bit her lip, "Even the Jericho didn't reach those heat signatures. Actually, I don't think even the arc reactor from R&D could heat up to three thousand. And the Jericho definitely left debris and shrapnel. What's the lead so far?"

"Nothing," said Barton, "Rivera is down there posing as a drug lord."

"What about Natasha and Agent Morse?"

"Bobbi's the translator. Natasha's the European token wife."

Joei laughed, "Oh I bet she's loving that."

"Natasha loves any mission where she gets to flirt over a guy's arm. She says it really shows her how weak men are."

Joei let out a laugh that was more of a choked animal sound, making her quickly cover her mouth. She looked at Barton and was not surprised to find an amused look on his face.

"What? I can't have a nerdy laugh?"

Barton chuckled before turning back to the lights of the Vegas strip, "I just didn't imagine you having a dorky laugh. On TV you always give this weird giggle."

"That's because on TV my laughs are supposed to be cute and endearing and make me popular. They're mostly fake. Interviewers are seldom as funny as they think they are," she explained, before a realization dawned on her, "Wait, you've watched me on TV?"

"Fury wanted us to investigate you before we did good on Agent Carter's request to bring you in. Coulson and I have probably watched every one of your interviews and public appearances at least ten times each."

"Well, that's more than a little creepy..." Joei muttered, looking through her binoculars again.

The alarm on Barton's watch beeped, and he quickly stood up, "Time to go."

"Is that the signal?" asked Joei.

"Nope." said Barton, running toward the cloaked quinjet that was parked behind them, "That's the signal."

Joei followed the direction of Barton's nod and immediately noticed the lack of a giant 315,000 watt white beam of lights above the Luxor resort. She quickly climbed onto the quinjet, taking a seat in the copilot's chair and buckling in.

"You mean to tell me that we going to extract four people from the middle of the Las Vegas strip?"

"Yes. And we only have another minute and a half to do it," said Barton, pointing at a timer on the dashboard as he lifted them into the air, "Or that thing turns back on and our friends get fried."

"Huh," was all Joei could say as they raced toward the center of Las Vegas.

* * *

 **December** **10** **, 2010**

"Caitlin! Have you seen my green Miu Miu dress? I want to wear it on Christmas Eve!"

"It's in the coat closet!" Caitlin answered form her bedroom down the hall, "I had it dry cleaned after they added the rhinestones."

"You are the greastest assistant ever."

Both girls exited their rooms and headed down the stairs, Caitlin carrying her already prepared suitcase toward the living room. Although they would each be going home for the holidays, the girls had spared no expense in decorating the apartment two days after Thanksgiving. The counters and stairway were lined in heavily decorated garlands. A large artificial Christmas Tree sat in the corner of their living room, decorated in red and gold baubles, candy canes, and crisscrossed ribbons. The electric fireplace was lit nearly all day in an attempt to keep out the cold of the Virginian winter, with two stockings hanging from the mantle. They'd run through nearly a dozen sugar cookie scented candles already, hellbent on creating Christmas cheer in every corner of their shared home.

"It's too bad no one got to see this," said Joei, "Well, except for Mom and Dad in the pictures I sent them."

Caitlin gave her a knowing smile at the phrase 'Mom and Dad.' Maybe it was the Christmas Season, or the idea of going home to celebrate Christmas as a family now that Tony and Pepper were together, but Joei had taken to referring to Pepper as 'Mom' in her head, and a few times in front of Caitlin. Pepper still had no idea, and Josephine wasn't entirely sure how she would get around to asking permission for something like that, but she figured the moment would present itself.

The doorbell rang in that moment, making both girls furrow their brows at each other.

"Were you expecting someone today?" asked Caitlin. They were set to leave early tomorrow morning and had already said their goodbyes to classmates and professors alike.

"No," Joei shook her head, walking toward the door and pulling it open, "And it better not be S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Jimmy!" Joei exclaimed, bits of snow and freezing air hitting her bare arms, "If you're not here with a mission, you are more than welcome to come in. Quickly, before I freeze to death in my pajamas."

The older boy laughed and stepped inside, closing the door behind him and shrugging off his coat, "Wow. This place even smells like Christmas."

"We had some free time," Joei shrugged, "I'm glad at least some one gets to see our hard work. What are you doing out here? Also, why are you dressed like Agent Coulson?"

"Funny story. After six months of being shuffled around form one assignment to another, I have finally been assigned to a base."

"That's great!" Joei fist bumped him. _A fist bump, Josephine? What are you, frat brothers? Get it together!_

"I am officially stationed at the Library."

"The Library?"

"It's like the S.H.I.E.L.D Hall of Records," Caitlin explained form the kitchen, "Want a drink, Fullerton? I'm making a second pot of coffee."

"Water's fine," said Jimmy, "It's not even noon yet and you guys are already getting more coffee?"

"I grew up with a guy who drinks coffee like its his only source of nourishment," said Joei, "And my habits have seemingly rubbed off on Caitlin. She's gone from one cup of Joe in the mornings to matching my three a day minimum."

"I'm pretty sure that's bad for you. Do you want your body to crash on you again and end up in the hospital like last time?"

"I hadn't had any coffee that day," said Joei, leading Jimmy toward the couch, "Which leads me to believe that coffee is the best medicine. Also, I don't see any revenge driven terrorists around so my nerves should stay intact for now. Now, tell me about the Library. Well, tell me what you're actually allowed to tell me."

"Well, I can tell you that Willowdale is officially my new home. The building is only a couple of years old."

"It opened about three years ago," said Caitlin, handing each of them their drinks, "When Culver started both hiring and producing so many new, groundbreaking researchers, S.H.I.E.L.D figured it was a best to have a facility nearby. Around the same time they also realized that there are about forty years worth of records all on paper that needed to be updated into the system. Thus, the Library was built. The public thinks it's a furniture factory."

"They've got me doing office work, mostly," Jimmy scrunched his nose, "I'm on a team of programmers that are supposed to create a more functional database of agents, which means I got promoted to a Level Three. And it also means that I'm not out there risking getting killed, and I get most weekends off, and a regular nine to five schedule. I start tomorrow, and the work will probably take about a year to complete. So you're stuck with me for at least that long."

"We leave tomorrow, though," Joei said apologetically, "I wish I could stick around, but I have an appearance scheduled at an orphanage tomorrow afternoon with Dad..."

"Well, before you go, can I take you out to dinner?" he asked with a small smile.

Joei's mouth went extremely dry as she heard Caitlin backing slowly out of the room and up the stairs.

"Um...like...on a date?"

"I...well...yes." Jimmy stammered before suddenly adding, "Unless you don't want it to be a date!"

she felt her face heat up and just knew she was blushing. Luckily, Jimmy's face had turned pink, as well, making her feel like she wasn't way in over her head. If he was nervous, then he must like her at least a little. He was asking her on a date for goodness sake!

"Um...well...yeah. A date is good."

"Okay." he nodded, looked around the room, and then stood suddenly, "I'll pick you up at seven? We'll go to dinner. You still like Italian, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," he nodded again, grabbing his coat from the hanger as Joei followed him toward the door. "I will see you at seven."

"Okay."

"Great."

"Great."

"Okay, bye!"

The abrupt opening and closing of the door hardly let in any cold air, and Josephine was left standing by the door with a momentarily blank expression on her face. Before she could step forward to lock the door, however, it burst open again, missing her nose by mere inches.

"I'm sorry, that was rude," said Jimmy, "And awkward."

Joei hardly had time to nod, before Jimmy stepped forward, a gloved hand on her shoulder, and lightly kissed her cheek, "I'll see you at seven." he nearly whispered.

"Okay," she breathed back, "See you at seven."

"Bye," he smiled, walking back out the door.

Joei followed, placing her hands on the inside of the door to close it slowly.

"Bye."

"Bye."

The door shut with a soft click. Joei turned to see her reflection in the mirror by the entrance table. Her cheeks were tinged with pink in a way that had nothing to do with the cold outside.

"You two are the most ridiculous pair of awkward idiots I have ever seen."

Joei jumped at the sound of her roommate's voice coming from the stairs.

"Don't do that! You're going to give me a heart attack before I can even go on my first real date!"

"First?" Caitlin's eyebrows rose.

"Yes, first," said Joei defensively, "By the time I was old enough to date I stopped going to school and didn't really know anyone close to my age. And then I joined the Academy and Jimmy and I spent my whole time there awkwardly flirting."

"How awkward?" Caitlin asked, looking amused.

"Let's just say that's not the first time he has walked in on me in his pajamas. I've also walked in on him in his pajamas. And he sleeps without a shirt on."

Caitlin laughed so hard she almost tripped on her way down the stairs, "I would have paid to see you dork your way through that."

"I am not a dork."

"Well you act like a dork around Fullerton. Don't worry, he does, too. You're two of the smoothest, most self confident people I know, but make you talk to one another and it's like watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Anyway...what are you going to wear?"

Joei gasped and bolted toward the second floor, "I have no idea!"


	12. Chapter 12

**I considered making most of this chapter into separate one-shots, and only including the last part as an actual part of the story, but the first two parts are nice little looks into Joei's development as a character, and I'm hell bent on making her more than an "insert-name-here" Mary Sue. As the story progresses, her role in the MCU will be more than a casual observer.**

Now, I believe I promised to answer my reviews, so here you are:

 ** _Wholockforeternity777: ( says)Thank you so much! I've been doing my best to make her sound like a real person. I happen to think she's a little self centered and spoiled, but what child of Tony Stark wouldn't be?  
_ (Joei says) Why does everyone insist that I'm spoiled? Thank you, reviewer! I happen to think I'm pretty awesome most of the time.  
(Tony says) What am I answering? Oh right, Josephine. Yeah, my kid is pretty great. So thanks for that.**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Marvel or their characters._**

* * *

 **February 15, 2011**

"Stop fiddling with it."

Joei sighed and turned toward the cockpit of the quinjet.

"Eyes on the road, or sky, whatever." she mumbled to Barton, adjusting the hat and dirty blonde wig that she had been told to shove on as an attempt to not be recognized by her usual copper brown waves. Her clothes were different from her usual attire, as well. Skinny jeans had been traded for loose black cargo pants and her usually brighter colored choice of top was replaced by a long sleeve black Henley and a S.H.I.E.L.D issued zip up vest.

Barton turned on the autopilot and stood then, leaving the co-pilot to keep an eye on the skies. He settled into the empty seat next to Josephine, who was now fidgeting with the bracelet at her wrist.

"Valentine's Day gift?"

"None of your business," Joei answered stiffly, sensing that he was making fun of her.

"Fullerton?"

"Also not your business," Joei crossed her arms, covering the bracelet with her sleeve when her S.O. started to chuckle, "I liked you better when you didn't talk to me."

"Well I liked you better when you were scared of me," he countered, the laugh dying off his lips but a twinkle remaining in his eye.

"I was never scared of you," she scoffed.

"You almost jumped behind the couch the first time you saw me."

"My dad had just been kidnapped by terrorists and there was a creep with a bow and arrow in my living room!" said Joei defensively, making the other agents in the quinjet give her amused looks, "You can't blame a girl."

She was greeted with silence for ten seconds, until, "So you admit you were scared?"

"You're an asshole," she scowled.

"Rudeness gets you extra push ups, kid."

Joei groaned. She really needed to learn how to respect people, even if they were being equally rude.

"Are you going to tell me why you're so nervous?" Barton asked quietly when the rest of the agents on board had gone back to their own conversations.

"I'm not."

"You haven't stopped fidgeting with the stupid wig or the bracelet or whatever you can get your hands on since we told you where we were going. Why do you think I haven't given you a gun?"

Joei sighed, letting her hands fall to her lap and refusing to look anywhere else, "My family doesn't exactly have the best relationship with the Middle East in general. So if for some reason I get recognized..."

"Ah," Barton nodded.

"This is my fourth mission with you, I shouldn't be this nervous."

"It's your first mission off American soil," said Barton, "In a place where your enemy list is a lot higher than usual. We all have something that makes us more nervous about certain missions. Once you step out of the plane and the plan gets going, everything just goes back into work mode and those nerves tend to shut up. If it makes you feel any better, here, these might help you keep covered a little more."

Joei looked down at Barton's hand, smiling slightly at the pair of aviator sunglasses he was handing her, "Thanks. Maybe you're not an asshole."

"You're still doing extra push ups when we get back."

"Damn."

They were silent for a while longer, until the co-pilot spoke from the front.

"Agent Barton, we're approaching the landing point."

"Buckle up, Blondie." said Barton, winking at her and pulling her baseball hat down slightly.

It took them only a couple of minutes to land among the green hills of Jammu and Kashmir and load into five S.H.I.E.L.D issued vehicles.

"We're lucky that the incident happened on the Indian side. Pakistan would have never cooperated us." said Barton as they rode in one of the vehicles towards the border.

"I thought all countries affiliated with the United Nations are supposed to be affiliated with S.H.I.E.L.D," said Joei.

"Affiliated, yes," said Barton, "It doesn't mean they like it. That's why we don't have offices in every single country. They can't outright deny us access just because, but they can make the process for granting access very hard and full of red tape. That's also why we couldn't send a rescue party for your dad as soon as they took him. Countries that are at war with the United States tend to be none too friendly with S.H.I.E.L.D."

When they finally reached the border, Josephine took a deep breath and adjusted the wig, S.H.I.E.L.D hat, and sunglasses once more.

"Keep a low profile. Coulson and Sitwell will ask all the questions. You and I just have to stand in the background and look around. If anyone asks, you're a trainee and you don't speak English."

"Then what do I speak?"

"What other languages do you know?"

Joei paled, "Um...I learned some Spanish when I was like, thirteen and going through an identity crisis."

"What?" Barton laughed.

"I thought my birth parents might speak Spanish," Joei shrugged, "But if anybody asks me anything, I think I can handle asking 'Que?' a bunch of times."

"Good. Follow me around and look confused," said Barton, "I'll mutter something like I'm translating and you can nod and pretend to say something important back."

"Sounds like a plan."

"After you, Miss Stark."

They unloaded the SUV shortly after Coulson and Sitwell unloaded with a couple of specialists holding very large guns.

"Purely intimidation," whispered Barton, holding the door open for two more agents. "Local authorities already took care of the mercenaries."

"General Upadhyaya," said Coulson, approaching an intimidatingly large man in military uniform and holding out a hand, "Phil Coulson, S.H.I.E.L.D. This is my colleague, Agent Sitwell."

"Agent Coulson," the man replied in a deep, booming voice and accepted the handshake, "We have been expecting you. We have shut down the border entry on both sides. No one enters or leaves through this bridge. We have kept the crime scene intact, and my men are ready to provide full reports."

"What exactly happened here, General?"

"A group of mercenaries attempted to attack a group of refugees that we were allowing into our borders. They have already admitted to being hired by the Ten Rings terrorist group."

Joei tired to swallow the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, but her mouth was suddenly too dry for anything beyond a dry grunt in the back of her throat. Barton put a hand on her back, nudging her to turn around and study the area, without going too far so they could still listen in.

"And how did your men manage to capture them?" asked Agent Sitwell, although they already knew the answer. It was the reason they were here in the first place.

"One of the others who were attempting to cross the border. He was not a refugee, as far as any of the witnesses can tell. He seemed to be traveling alone. An unimposing man in worn clothes and a single suitcase that was full of medical supplies."

"A doctor?"

"Possibly. He was the only person unaccounted for after it was over, which makes us think he was the one who..."

"The one who what?"

"If it were not for the surveillance videos, I would not believe it. When the gunfire broke out, someone broke out from the crowd and became...more than a man."

"Could you elaborate?"

"A giant green thing burst from the crowd." said the general as Joei surveyed the damage around the area, "He ran at the mercenaries. He knocked two into those pillars with one punch of his fist. He took the guns from two more and snapped them apart with his teeth. The fifth and sixth ones tried to shoot at him, but the bullets bounced off. He stood in front of the crowd, like he was protecting them, and then threw the last two mercenaries onto two of our cars. He stopped a terrorist kidnapping in less than five minutes."

"Did he kill anyone?"

"No deaths. Two of the mercenaries have concussions and another has two broken ribs. They are in our custody now and will face justice."

"I don't doubt that," said Coulson, "You're free to punish them as you wish. What about the green giant? What happened to him?"

The general shook his head, "He is fast. He jumps and runs farther and faster than any animal I have ever seen. By the time my men were able to get into a vehicle and chase after him, he was long gone."

"What direction did he go in?"

"South."

Joei and Barton began to walk off then, as Coulson and Sitwell continued to ask questions that were not entirely necessary.

"It's different this time," whispered Joei when they were far enough, "He's different."

"How so?" asked Barton, putting his hands behind his back in what Joei now called 'Professor Mode' in her head. He had probably made the same observations and more in half the time that she had, but he wanted to hear her make them.

"The Hulk is, according to Dr. Banner, an entirely primitive being. He runs on instinct. When Banner feels threatened, or his heart beat spikes, Hulk comes out to defend himself. The notes that Dr. Banner left for me to find in his cabin suggest that the Hulk comes out, beats the crap out of whoever is threatening him, and then goes to sleep when the noise stops. I could already tell that was wrong just by looking at the footage from Culver."

"The Hulk protected Dr. Ross," Barton nodded.

"Yes, but the Hulk knew her. Banner can _feel_ the Hulk's presence even when he's just being Banner, and he can retain memory of some of the Hulk's actions post-transformation. That could mean that the Hulk remembers at least some parts about Banner, and seeing as how important Dr. Ross was to Banner, I can see how the Hulk would want to protect her. But this...he didn't know a single one of these refugees, or anybody else here. And yet the Hulk didn't attack everybody and everything who dared make a noise. He didn't even leave any damages except for a broken pillar and a dented car hood."

"You're headed in the right direction," said Barton, "But what's the conclusion?"

"He had a plan," said Joei, "The Hulk, or Banner, protected a bunch of innocent bystanders from the bad guys, without killing a single person or doing any significant damage. It wasn't just random smashing things until people stopped yelling. He thought this through from a tactical point of view. Something as primal as Banner's notes suggest would not be able to do that. So either the Hulk has managed to learn fighting techniques, or Dr. Banner was on copilot during this fight."

"So you think he can control it now?"

"I think he's starting to." Joei said, realizing that the nearby officers had caught part of their conversation. It looked like pretending not to know English was not going to work after all.

"Agent Coulson!" Barton called, "I think the intern and I have got the information we need. We can go now, sir."

"Excellent," said Coulson, looking like he had been begging for a way to leave for the past ten minutes, "We should take whatever you have back to HQ. General, it was a pleasure."

"Finally," Sitwell muttered as they walked toward the SUVs, Joei keeping her head down to keep from being noticed any more, "I thought he was going to start telling war stories."

"It was like meeting the Indian version of John Garrett. Do you think his stories get more exaggerated every time he tells them?" asked Coulson, this time climbing into the same vehicle as Barton, Joei, and Agent Morse.

"Either way, I think Miss Stark got her fair share of new information on the Hulk." said Barton, bumping her side lightly with his elbow.

"And we've got a team out looking for traces of Dr. Banner as of right now," said Coulson, pushing what could only be the send key on a text message, "We'll have eyes on him in a matter of hours. Until then, all we can do is enjoy the ride home. Where to, Miss Stark?"

"Back to Willowdale, Agent Coulson. I'm afraid I have an essay due tomorrow morning that I have been putting off for too long."

"Isn't that why you have an assistant?" Barton snorted.

"How spoiled do you think I am?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Joei rolled her eyes, "Caitlin has her own homework to do. And her double job is already hard enough without me making her get an education for both of us. Besides, I'm pretty sure that would be considered plagiarism."

"Please don't encourage your subordinate to partake in illegal behavior, Agent Barton," said Coulson.

"You know what they say, Coulson," Agent Morse smirked from the front seat, "Old habits die hard."

"Very funny, Morse."

* * *

 **March 2, 2011**

"And now, it is my grand pleasure to introduce to you the great mind behind our latest project," said Pepper, standing tall at the podium, "The one and only, Mr. Tony Stark."

Tony smiled at Joei and kissed her cheek before climbing onto the podium, greeting Pepper with a quick but warm hug as the redhead returned to Joei's side.

"I feel like a member of the presidential family," Joei muttered to Pepper, whose smile became more sincere than it had been while directly in front of the cameras.

"It'll be over before you know it," the older woman said through her teeth.

"You look really pretty today," said Joei, bumping her shoulder against Pepper's. From somewhere ahead, a camera flashed in their direction

"You look prettier," Pepper winked, "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," said Joei, smoothing down the front of her pencil skirt.

"As many of you know, Stark Industries has recently purchased what was formerly the MetLife Building, which stands behind me now. As Miss Potts stated, we at Stark take our relationship with the beautiful city of New York very seriously. That is why we take great pleasure in presenting you the plans for the structure you see going up behind me. Josephine, will you do the honors?"

Josephine smiled and stepped toward Tony. Next to him was a large easel, covered in a white sheet. Joei had seen the plans for Stark Tower dozens of times by now, but the press around her had not, and they let out gasps and began to fire questions and take pictures immediately.

"Stark Tower," Joei smiled, speaking loud enough for the press to settle down as she took her place at the podium, "The very first, completely clean energy powered skyscraper in Manhattan. We at Stark Industries hope that this building will become a model for the future of this city. Stark Tower will be a world-class financial and business facility, home to many companies, including our own. On top of that, and perhaps most important to me, it will also be my home and my father's home part-time, in an attempt to improve our ever growing relationship with this great city that is so dear to us.

"I do believe that this is where I give the microphone back to the expert, so that he can answer all your questions about the structure of this new building. Dad?"

"Thank you, honey," he said in her ear, giving her a quick hug, "That was excellent."

Joei let out a breath and returned to Pepper's side. No one was paying them much attention now that Tony was explaining the details.

"Was I okay?"

"You were perfect," said Pepper.

"I don't know why I get so nervous for press conferences. I did fine at the Expo."

"The Expo was full of scientists and fans," said Pepper, "The press is a much tougher crowd. But you did great. Your dad was adamant on getting you involved in this. He wants you to be prepared for when you have to do all of this on your own some day."

"Let's hope it's not any time soon," said Joei.

"It won't be. Your dad promised to tell us if he was every dying again."

"He better."

"Oh, clap for him. He's done."

Joei smiled and applauded as Tony waved at the press and walked off the podium and toward his "two favorite girls," as he had taken to calling them, offering an arm to each of them as they walked toward the car.

* * *

 **March 14, 2011**

"Miss Stark, Agent Coulson is here, he says it's an urgent matter."

"What time is it?" Joei mumbled into her pillow. The slightly awake part of her brain was surprised that FRIDAY even understood.

"Four twenty-three in the morning."

"Somebody better be dying or the world better be ending." Joei grumbled, sitting up and tossing the dressing gown that was perched on a nearby chair before flinging the blanket off her legs and getting up with a stretch.

It was still completely dark outside the window, and she stumbled through the room until she reached the door, into the dimly lit hallway. She took her time on the stairs, not wanting to fall, and found Coulson already inside, in his three piece suit, casually perched on the couch and drinking a sup of coffee.

"Coffee?" asked Coulson, pointing to a mug on the coffee table, "I'd say yes if I were you. You're going to need it."

"Josephine?" Caitlin's sleepy voice came from upstairs.

"It's okay, Cait!" Joei called up, "It's Agent Coulson! Go back to sleep."

She vaguely heard a mumbled, "Mmkay," come from upstairs, and the click of Caitlin's door as her roommate returned to bed.

"What on earth is so important?" Joei asked, slouching into a plush chair with the coffee mug cradled between her hands.

"We found him."

"Banner?" Joei asked, sitting up slightly, "Did he do something? Did he transform?"

"Not Banner." Coulson shook his head, looking a little too excited, "Captain America."

"Come again?" Joei asked, all sleep erasing itself form her face as the blood started to flow quickly to every part of her body.

"Josephine, they found the Valkyrie in the Arctic. His shield is embedded in the ice, and we've got a team out there already looking for him. S.H.I.E.L.D is hours away from finding Steve Rogers' body. Go get dressed, and pack a sweater."

* * *

 **I love Agent Coulson's humor in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D so OF COURSE I had to end this with him saying something ridiculous. Also, get ready for some fangirling on his behalf in the next chapter!  
** **Please remember to review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Guess where Joei's going todaaaaaayyyyy? It rhymes with The Carctic Pircle to find some guy named Steve!**

 **Some more of Joei's colorful "LANGUAGE!" shows up here, so let's say this chapter is rated T+**

* * *

 **March 15, 2011**

"We're landing at a research station a few miles off," said Coulson as the quinjet began it's rough descent. "So far the search team hasn't found any toxic materials or radiation, but Fury wants us in hazmat suits just to be safe. We'll get some wheels from there, and they'll take us to the sight."

"Any news on what they've found so far?" asked Joei, gripping the straps at her chest tightly as the quinjet lurched downward.

"That's all I know. The first two agents came on sight around 3 in the morning and called it in to their superior officer. He's on sight now, coordinating the search. But since you're the one whose been paying for the search, and the team is technically on your payroll, you're entitled to answers as soon as we get on sight. As soon as you get on, you're considered the sight coordinator until Fury gets there."

They landed inside a small hangar and were quickly escorted into the facility, where they pulled particularly thick hazmats on over their clothes to protect from the cold. Even so, when she stepped outside to climb into a very large Arctic Truck, the cold seeped into the more vulnerable parts of the suit, nipping at Josephine's fingers and face.

If they had been anywhere else, Joei guessed it would have taken them ten minutes to get to the ship. Because of the terrain, and the snow storm that did not show any signs of stopping, it took them nearly half an hour to reach the site. She could hardly see her hands in front of her face at first, but as her eyes adjusted and the wind settled considerably, she noticed two agents approaching.

"What's the status?" she asked immediately, walking in the direction they had come from and hoping that it at least looked like she knew what she was doing. The suits had built in comms, which made Joei wonder if this was how it felt to be Iron Man.

"One of our scientists has worked out an equation that takes into account the movements of the ice caps over time in relation of where the Captain's body might be located." said the man on her left.

"He wasn't next to the shield?" asked Joei.

"No, ma'am. We're assuming he dropped the shield during his fight with the Red Skull, or that he may have put it down to pilot the ship." said the man on her right.

As they continued forward, Joei squinted her eyes, trying to see what the agents had described as a very large ship. The air shifted again, and the massive, semi-burried metal jail that had housed Steve Rogers for nearly seventy years came into view.

"Holy cow," Joei whispered to herself, though she was sure the search team had heard her through their comms, "How close are you to finding him?"

"We've determined two possible places where he may be imbedded in the ice," said a woman's voice with an accent she couldn't place in her comms, "Please, do come in, Miss Stark. We're getting ready to start digging."

Joei approached the ship with Coulson at her side, and they were hooked onto a harness to descend into the ship.

"Woah," Coulson gasped when they were inside.

"This is really from the forties?"

"HYDRA wasn't joking when it came to tech," said the same accented female voice as before, and Joei turned to see someone stand from a table to her right.

"Josephine Stark, meet Dr. Amara Perera. She's a biophysicist from Sri Lanka. The director has had her on call since we found the bombs months back."

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Perera," said Joei, lifting a gloved hand to shake the doctor's own.

"I've met your father, Miss Stark, he is a smart man. If what I have heard from the others is true, you are an equally smart woman."

"I doubt I'm as smart as you, but thank you for the compliment." Joei smiled charmingly before going back into her work mode, "I hear you have a way of narrowing down Cap's location."

"I do and I have," said the scientist, "The excavation team is preparing to begin shortly."

"Good, good," Joei nodded, "What can we do in the mean time, Dr. Perera?"

"You're the boss, Miss Stark," Dr. Perera shrugged, "But I would suggest preparing a team to thaw the Captain's body out of the ice."

Joei shivered inside the suit. While she knew that this was her mission, and finding Steve Rogers was one of the reasons she had joined S.H.I.E.L.D in the first place, hearing the word _body_ associated with a person who she had heard so much about was a surreal experience.

Everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D and maybe half of the United States' population knew about Captain America, whether it was through fictional comic books and radio shows, or official reports of his heroism, but Joei had grown up listening to more than that. From the time she'd met Peggy Carter, Joei had slowly been introduced to Steven Grant Rogers, the man behind the flashy suit and the round shield. On top of that, she had gone through the warehouses of Stark Industries and the basement of her and Tony's home, finding recordings upon recordings about Howard Stark's search for Captain America.

Josephine had never met the man, but she knew one person who had known him, had admired him, respected him, and even loved him. She knew the wistful look in Peggy's eyes whenever she mentioned the way Steve used to run before getting the serum (like an awkward giraffe had been one of the phrases used to describe it). She knew the way her aunt's entire body filled with pride as she recounted the way Steve Rogers had managed to get the flag down at Camp Lehigh through brains rather than brawn. She knew the sadness in Howard Stark's voice notes as he stated that the recreation of the Super Soldier Serum had been unsuccessful, and that Steve Rogers' legacy had surely died with him, regardless of whether they found his body or not.

Over the years, Josephine had laughed at Peggy's stories, had listened intently to hours of Howard's voice notes, had watched reels and reels of footage that was never aired to the public because it was deemed too bland for War Propaganda, but was deeply personal in a way. Steve laughing, drawing, reading, giving orders, patting the backs of his teammates.

Steve Rogers was both someone whose existence she could not wrap her head around, and at the same time someone whom she knew nearly as well as she knew her family. She had never experienced his heroics, but she had seen the repercussions of his actions in Peggy's voice, in Peggy's husband and children, in the organization for which she now worked.

"Josephine!" Coulson yelled hours and hours after they had started drilling and Joei still couldn't allow the reality to settle in and hit her as she worked, "Joei! They found him! They can see the body!"

Again the shiver ran down her back, but she stood from her place in front of a monitor and ran as fast as the clunky hazmat suit would allow her.

"Where?"

"This way."

They had drilled through nearly all the ice covering the ship at an alarming rate. Dr. Perera had gone to the base some hours ago, along with the drillers who had been replaced with a team for a second shift. Josephine wasn't sure how long they had been there, but it couldn't have been more than a day. She hadn't left the ship except to munch on some crackers and sip some soup a few hours back inside one of the snow trucks.

As they approached the back of the ship, Joei heard arguing and quickened her pace.

"Miss Stark," the men who had been arguing became silent as their coordinator, Colonel Jacobs, spoke to Joei, "Our boys down there have a visual on the body, but if they keep drilling we run the risk of damaging it."

"Him," Joei corrected, "Alive or dead, Captain Rogers is still a man, Colonel."

"My apologies, ma'am," the Colonel nodded respectfully, "But we need you to tell us what to do."

"Dr. Perera and I prepared a thawing station for him in case of this." said Joei, "Do you have tools to break off a small enough chunk of ice to crane him up here?"

"Yes, I believe we can."

"Do that," said Joei, "And we'll melt off the rest of the ice."

"Josephine, the director is arriving," said Coulson, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

She could have canceled her orders and waited patiently for Fury, but she'd caught the way that Colonel Jacobs' men had snickered and muttered her name. She knew that despite their obligation to keep her informed and consult her on her opinion, very few of the people on that ship were taking her seriously. Even now, she could see smirks on several faces as they expected her to fold her hands and walk away with her head down. Was this what Peggy had felt like during and after the war?

"Unless the director states otherwise, I'm still in charge of this assignment," said Joei, staring at each of the men whose smirks slowly began to disappear, "My orders are given."

"Of course, Miss Stark," the Colonel smiled with a mixture of kindness and (Joei hoped) respect before turning to his crew. "You heard the boss! Get to it!"

Coulson, who had long since turned off the microphone in his comm to anyone he wasn't speaking directly to, turned to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Well done, Agent."

"Junior Agent," Joei corrected automatically, as they turned and were faced with the Director, Agent Hill at his side as usual. Neither was wearing a Hazmat suit, but they were covered head to toe in clothes equipped to fight the freezing cold.

"Business in New Mexico turned out longer than expected," said Fury, "At least I seem to have left this job in the right hands. Well done, Stark."

Joei's breath caught in her throat, fogging up the mask on her suit when it escaped in one quick huff, "Thank you, Director."

To say she was overwhelmingly proud of herself was an understatement. For the next few hours, Joei was floating on a cloud of pride. If her activity here wasn't so classified, she would have called her father, Pepper, Caitlin, the twins, Jimmy, and even Peggy. Years later, Joei would look back and realize that the importance of that moment had not been gaining the respect of Colonel Jacobs, or a bunch of drillers, or even Nick Fury, but rather having gained enough respect for herself to realize that she _could_ be a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, and that she deserved to be there just as much as any other future agent.

"Hey," said Coulson a while later, when the team had begun to cut into the ice. "I'm heading to base to get some food and sleep. You should do the same."

"I'm fine," Joei answered, not really thinking about what he was saying from her cloud of proud euphoria.

"No, you're not. You look like you're going to fall off the chair at any moment. It's almost four in the morning. You've been awake almost twenty-four hours and all you've had is some soup and crackers. You're coming. Site coordinator or not, I'm still one of your handlers and that's an order. Come on, Miss Stark."

Joei realized with a sudden jolt that he was right. With all the work and the way her brain had been going at a mile a minute since she'd gotten here, she had completely ignored just about every sign her body was giving off. She was shivering as the cold seeped more and more into her suit, which now felt terribly stuffy and was making her face and hair greasy, and her eyes were watery and must have been incredibly red.

"I hadn't realized how tired I was." she admitted, standing slowly and following Coulson toward the entrance.

"Paying attention to your body's needs is more important than you think as an agent," said Coulson as they began the ascent to the ground, "You're going to learn to push through pain, to walk on injured bones, to resist torture. But you also need to know when your body is at its limits. If you don't have to push it, don't. Stay hydrated, keep food in your stomach, and sleep when you can."

"You're right!" Joei called over the howling wind when they were back on the ground, "It won't happen again!"

As they drove back to the base, Joei ripped off the God awful Hazmat suit, which was starting to smell funky and made her think that she probably didn't smell any better, and piled on a sweatshirt, jacket, and gloves that the driver had brought along for them, as well as ski masks for the inevitable cold that hit them as soon as they were back at the base. She and Coulson ran toward the doors, grateful to finally be somewhere warm enough to expose their hands and noses.

"I'm going to go get some food first," said Coulson when they were safely inside.

"Is there a place I can shower?" Joei asked.

"They've set up a room with bunks for us," said Coulson, "Down that hallway and to your right. They have our names on them and I had Caitlin send you a bag with some extra clothes."

"Oh thank God. I thought I was going to have to change back into this. I didn't Hazmat suits got so..."

"Stinky? Yeah. Enjoy your shower. Make sure you eat something, though."

"I will."

* * *

 **March 16, 2011**

Josephine was prodded awake after four hours of sleep by Agent Hill.

"Josephine, we've got to go," said the woman, who was already dressed in her catsuit and was pulling on jackets and boots, "There's been a new development."

"What?" Joei groaned, sitting up slowly.

"Hurry. It's important," said Coulson from a bunk across from hers and Hill's.

Joei stood quickly and began to pull on a S.H.I.E.L.D t-shirt and pants, grateful that Caitlin had packed plenty of thermal long sleeve shirts and her warmest leggings to go underneath. Inside their vehicle, someone had been nice enough to leave coffee and some granola bars for them to eat and get warm.

"No hazmat suits this time?" Joei asked hopefully.

"They didn't find any contaminants, toxins, or radiation," said Coulson, "So no."

The ride to the ship was full of tension. Joei's questions were left unanswered, though, as she realized that not even Hill and Coulson knew exactly what was so important. Fury had sent nearly everyone on the ship back to the base, except for the five or six men who had been melting the ice off Rogers' body, and had requested that the three of them, and only the three of them, report to the ship immediately.

Director Fury was waiting for them in the ship's cockpit when the descended.

"Director," it was Coulson who spoke first, "A new development?"

"Very new," said Fury, motioning for them to follow him, "The defrosting went well. A little too well."

"Meaning?" asked Joei, for once neither intimidated nor amused by how dramatic Nick Fury could be when he was revealing something. Her stomach lurched, making her wish she'd kept her meal of the day a little smaller.

"The excavators managed to get Rogers out in one large piece of ice. They placed him on the work station that you and Dr. Perera set up, and our men began the process of melting the ice off him. But they found something."

"What?" asked Joei. Was he emitting radiation? Was the body horribly disfigured? Had the Tesseract done something to him before he died? They were approaching the room that had once been small barracks, but had undergone a transformation into a defrosting chamber by Joei and Dr. Perera hours earlier.

"A heartbeat."

Even Hill and Coulson gasped and looked shocked at that.

"Sir..."

"That's..."

"What. The. Fuck."

"Agent Stark!" Coulson chastised, eyes wide at Joei's audacity to direct vulgar language at the Director.

Fury, rather than looking angry and offended, looked a bit amused as he opened the door to the defrosting chamber, "Indeed. After you, site coordinator."

Joei swallowed thickly, accepting the dust mask that was handed to her. A power plant buzzed in a corner, powering heaters throughout the room. It was still cold, but it didn't painfully stab at their noses and cheeks. A large plastic screen was directly in front of Joei, covering half of the room. She watched as the shadows of four people moved form one place to the other, working diligently over a brightly lit work table. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and pushed through the plastic, willing herself not to look at the man on the table just yet.

"How is this possible?" she asked.

"Well, for any normal human being, being frozen like this would be a death sentence." said the lead scientist, "The liquid inside our bodies would crystallize and rupture just about every cell in our bodies. I've been back and forth with my colleagues all day. They've been looking through the copies of Dr. Erskine and your grandfather's notes all day, trying to figure this out. Basically, the Super Soldier Serum in Captain Rogers' system either heals or replaces all damaged cells."

"So either the liquids in his body are not crystallizing or they get replaced every time they do," said Joei.

"Precisely."

"So his body isn't frozen on the inside?" Joei asked, her head spinning as she tried to wrap it around the possibility.

"No," said the scientist, "The fact that he was frozen basically protected the rest of his body from damage, while his organs and body liquids just continued to do their jobs. He'll most likely be severely dehydrated, but so far that's the only damage we can find."

"What about brain damage? He's gone a substantially long time without oxygen."

"It's a possibility. But I can't tell yet. All I can tell you is that Steve Rogers is most definitely alive. His heart is pumping blood to all of his organs, and his brain is working to some degree."

"It's your call, Stark," Fury said behind her.

Joei turned to the director, whose eye was fixed on her. Coulson was standing just slightly behind him, giving her an encouraging smile. Joei sighed and turned back around.

"I need a minute with him. Could you all clear out?"

"Everyone out," Fury ordered, making the rest of the people in the room quickly put down their work and exit the room, "You have three minutes to be on the other side of this door."

Joei nodded once, waiting for the door to click shut before finally looking down at the man on the work table.

The bottom half of his body was still covered in ice. Joei had been forced to watch enough science documentaries in her life to know that any other being could not survive half their body being thawed while the other half was still encased in ice, but the explanation had been given and she was accepting it as true. Her eyes moved from his frozen legs to the star on his chest. Nearly seventy years ago he had strapped on this uniform, ready for another mission. Had it ever crossed his mind that this could be his last? Was that why he had kissed Peggy? Or was it just a spur of the moment? What had been his last thought before falling into the frozen ocean? Had he thought about how he would never make it to his date with Peggy? Had he thought about seeing Bucky again?

Joei knew the story of Steve's last moments better than anyone. Peggy remembered it so well that she could recite it word for word. Joei had heard her do it twice, but that was enough for it to stick in her mind forever.

He had said, "I have to do this."

She had told him not to be late for their date.

Joei swallowed hard once more and finally forced herself to look at his face.

"Peggy wasn't kidding," she smiled softly, vaguely recognizing that talking to him was pointless and maybe borderline crazy, "You're a looker, all right. She's the reason I didn't give up on this, you know? I figured that finding your body and giving you a proper resting place would help her find a little peace. That's not to say she isn't happy with her life. She's always said that she did everything she wanted to do and then some.

"She was the one who told Howard to let you go, but I think she would have really wanted to find you. And now," she sighed, pulling off the hood of her jacket and pushing away the goggles and dust mask, "Now you're alive, and she might even get to see you before she...before she gets sicker. Hell, you're probably the last thing she'll forget. Fury won't let you just go off and be a civilian for the rest of your life, but I'm going to make sure you find some normalcy here. Peggy was the first person to make me feel safe and cared for, and Howard's son was the second. So I guess I kind of owe them, right? I can pay them back by helping you."

She stared at his face a little longer, contemplating before finally deciding that it wouldn't hurt to do what she was thinking. The heaters had warmed the place enough that her finger wouldn't fall off if she removed one of her gloves, so she did.

"I'm being totally creepy right now," she whispered to herself, "Oh well."

Her the tips of three fingers came to rest on his cheek. She couldn't really say she was touching him. His skin was still covered in a thin sheet of ice, and that was all she could feel when she made contact. Her fingers could only stand the ice for a moment, so she moved her hand to the star on his chest. It was cold and wet, but no longer entirely frozen.

"Can you feel this?" she wondered out loud, "Are you, like, in a coma? I've heard that sometimes people in comas can feel and hear things. But I don't know if this is a coma, so...yeah. I should get out there. Technically I knew what I was going to decide from the moment Fury asked but...I just wanted to get a chance to talk to you, I guess. Even if you can't hear a word I'm saying. I'll see you later, Steve."

She put the goggles, hood, and glove back on and stepped out of the defrosting chamber. Hill, Fury, Coulson, and the team in charge of defrosting were waiting for her.

"How long will it take for him to wake up once he's thawed out?"

"I don't know exactly how fast the serum works," said the lead scientist, "But my guess is anywhere between two to fifteen days."

"Thaw him out and then get him somewhere he can be observed until he wakes up." ordered Joei, "Preferably some place that is not part of the Arctic circle."

"The Manhattan Base," said Fury, "I have business there and I want to be able to keep a close eye on him. Miss Stark, I'd advise you to go back to Willowdale for the rest of the day. Be in Manhattan by nine in the morning tomorrow."

"Yes, sir."

"Agent Graham doesn't have the clearance to know about this yet," the Director reminded her.

"Noted, sir."

"Off you go, then."

"Thank you, sir."

With her work done for the day, she walked away to prepare a flight back home, still feeling high on self-pride.

Her euphoria was cut short when she reached Willowdale's small airstrip, and found a team of two agents and a driver there to pick her up, including an all too familiar face.

"Welcome back, Miss Stark."

"Thank you, Agent Fullerton," she returned his shy smile.

"Oh just kiss," Jimmy's partner, whose name was Shawn if she remembered correctly, rolled his eyes and turned toward the car.

Joei giggled slightly. Would the nervous butterflies around Jimmy ever go away? They'd gone on their first date months ago, and became an official couple in early February, but work and school had kept them from seeing as much of each other as a usual couple would.

She had to hold back a dreamy sigh when Jimmy leaned down quickly, just barely touching her lips before they both looked around nervously. Rule number one of being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent was never mixing work with personal lives.

"Hey, stranger," he smiled at her, leading her toward the car that awaited them.

"Hey, yourself," she smiled, "We've sure kept busy, haven't we? You know, I have a car here _and_ an assistant who can arrange transportation for me."

"I know that," said Jimmy, "But this whole thing was on Fury's orders."

"Are you serious?"

"He's serious," said Shawn from the passenger's seat, "Also, you're not allowed to leave your apartment until your plane takes off tomorrow."

"What?!"

"Sorry, Josie," Jimmy shrugged. The nickname had caught on quick between them, although no one had ever used it on her before.

"What, does Fury think I'm going to go out there and spill all his secrets to every person I see on the street?" she crossed her arms, "I was actually dumb enough to think he trusted me on this."

"Don't take it personal, kid," said the driver, who Joei had never met but she knew was probably an agent himself, "Fury doesn't trust anybody. Even Hill is in the dark about some of his projects."

Joei sighed in frustration, "This is the second time Fury puts me on house arrest for not doing anything."

"What was the first time?" asked Shawn.

"My dad and his best friend got mad at each other and blew up our house."

"Nice."

"Tell that to million dollar fountain I'm still trying to replace."

She didn't mean to be sarcastic, but her mood had deflated quite considerably. It wasn't like she was planning on hitting the streets later. In all honesty, she just wanted to take a nap, pack for New York, and then take another nap. But house arrest? Why was that even necessary?

"How long will you be gone?" asked Jimmy quietly when they were almost to her apartment.

"No idea," she shrugged, "Could be a couple days, or it could be a few weeks. I'll call you as soon as I'm off the assignment, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded when they had pulled up at her apartment, "Can I come see you when I get out of work?"

"Sure," she smiled, "We'll order dinner or something."

They spared a quick hug before Joei climbed out of the car, looking across the street where she knew at least one agent had to be hiding, but she couldn't find a single person. Sighing, she walked up to her door, knowing Caitlin would still be at school, and decided she would go straight to her soft, fluffy bed for the next three or four hours.

* * *

 **STEEEEVE! Next chapter is the part that I have been looking forward to writing almost since I started writing the beginning of Joei's adventure way back when she was seven years old and getting adopted!**

 **I'm not sure if anyone caught this, but Dr. Perera is a character from the comics who was involved with Tony at one point! Of course, Joei is quite in the dark about how well her dad and Dr. Perera know each other.**

 **Remember to review! Let me know what you think about Jimmy and Joei! Should I include more scenes with them in it? And how about Caitlin? She's personally my favorite. Remember that Tony and Joei will happily answer your reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Woohoo I'm back! So I had intended for Joei and Steve to begin getting to know each other in this chapter, but my imagination ran a little crazy and I squeezed in some extra scenes, including a special cameo from everybody's favorite Aunt!  
** **  
Now, review replies for:  
Lily Noir  
** **Joei: Awww thanks! I quite like you too! I can't wait to see where I go, either. If things would stop getting weirder every month, that would be nice, though.  
From the Author: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story :)**

* * *

 **March 17, 2011**

"Anything? A finger twitch? A change in vitals?" asked Josephine when she entered the observation room.

"Nothing," said Coulson, looking through the large window that was disguised as an unassuming part of the wall on the other side. "Though they've still got him on sedatives to help his body heal."

Steve Rogers lay unconscious on a simple twin bed with metal bars for a headboard and scratchy looking white and green sheets. If it were up to Josephine, the Captain's room would have been larger, and his bed and sheets would have been softer, and she would have put some decent, strong AC in the room instead of that stupid noisy fan. But Fury insisted, or rather ordered, that Rogers had to wake up in a setting exactly like the one he'd left. And in the 1940s, the room he was currently in would have been considered a great luxury, simply because it had a working lamp and radio.

"Did you speak to Fury yet?" asked Coulson.

"Yep," Joei nodded, "He wants me to be Captain America's personal history tutor."

"Is that how he put it?" asked Coulson, looking amused.

"You keep me around for the sole purpose of comic relief, don't you?" Joei narrowed her eyes at him.

"I keep you around because I want you to become an agent. Your sense of humor is just a plus. Word of advise, don't let people take that from you. Don't let being an agent take that from you."

"Like all those agents who look like they haven't cracked a joke in fifty years?"

"Exactly. They're good agents, but they lose themselves to the job. They forget who they are. Don't let anything like that happen to you. It's good to have some walls up against people you don't know yet, but don't put any walls up against yourself."

Joei smiled. Every time she met with Coulson, he seemed to have some words of wisdom to give her, "Thanks, Phil."

"We're not that tight yet."

"Sorry." said Joei, turning back to look through the window at Cap's sleeping form, "Thank you, Agent Coulson."

"Coulson's fine." said the agent, and out of the corner of her eye, Joei saw the corner of his mouth twitch.

They were silent for a few more minutes, in which Joei realized how creepy this really was. She could almost imagine the look on Steve Rogers' face if, when he awoke, she were to approach him and say, "Hello, it's nice to finally meet you awake. I watched you sleep for the past two days."

"Where's the uniform?" she asked, berating herself for not remembering it earlier.

"In a special storage unit. It was made by Howard Stark himself, paid for with his own money, so technically you could claim it as a family heirloom."

"I imagine it won't be of much use to Steve after almost seventy years."

Coulson shook his head, "It's almost falling apart. Honestly, it would probably do better at a museum."

"I'll look into it," said Joei, "Until then, just keep it in storage. If we get him back in action, he can have the shield. Give it a new coat of paint, and get somebody on designing a new suit for him."

"Should we keep the colors?"

"I say yes. He's Captain America. But you might want to ask Fury," said Joei, turning back toward the door, "I've got to go. The doctor says he should wake up within the next couple of days, meaning I'm going to need to pull an all nighter to find all the documentaries and text books I'll need to catch him up."

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

* * *

 **March 18, 2011**

"I look ridiculous." Joei huffed to herself in the locker room.

Her hair had been hidden beneath a shoulder length retro curled muddy brown wig, and the make up was a lot brighter than what she was used to, although it did help her look at least a little bit older. The beige button up shirt was made of too warm material and the seems were scratchy, the tie around her neck bugged her, and the green skirt was ridiculously unflattering.

"How did Aunt Peggy look so good in her pictures?"

"Miss Stark?" a voice called form the doorway, "Are you ready? He should be awake any minute now."

"Yes," she sighed, slipping into the most uncomfortable black heels she had ever worn, "Lead the way."

The Captain had been taken off the last of his sedatives today, and based on the data the doctors had gathered, they guessed he would be awake within the hour.

"Miss Stark, you look very retro," Coulson snickered when she walked into the observation room.

"You're just jealous that you're not the one who gets to meet him first," Joei scowled, crossing her arms over her chest.

More and more people began to enter the observation room, including Fury and Hill, until it was almost too crowded to move. In the fake hospital room, the fake old radio played the same baseball game recording that it had every day. Apparently it was the only one from the forties that they could find. The ceiling fan moved slowly, a fake breeze coming in through the fake window that looked out into a fake New York skyscraper. Minutes ticked by, as the doctors stared fixedly at Steve Rogers' face. Joei began to shift her weight anxiously from one foot to another, taking in every aspect of the fake room, hoping that Fury's idea was a good one, and rehearsing over and over in her head what on earth she would say to Captain Steven Grant Rogers when he woke up.

She didn't even realize it happened until she heard a collective gasp from the scientists, and looked back at the man on the bed as he moved his head, eyes completely open.

Joei swallowed thickly, unable to move until Coulson gave her a light shove toward the door and said, "You're on."

She walked toward the door, slipping the pen out of her pocket, and held her breath as she entered the tiny, fake hallway with a door leading to the hospital room. Just behind her, a group of tactical agents shifted into position, ready to come in should anything go wrong. Joei pulled the pen out of her pocket, remembering what she should do in case Steve took her welcome as anything less than friendly. God she hated this plan.

Standing before the door, she took a deep breath and turned on her most charming smile. This she was good at.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring with furrowed eyebrows at the radio when she walked in, smile plastered firmly on her face, "Good morning. Or should I say afternoon," she said gently, closing the door behind her and looking at her watch.

"Where am I?"

 _Oh boy. He does not look happy,_ Joei thought as she answered what she had rehearsed a hundred times, small smile still fixed on her face and an uncharacteristically soft lilt to her voice, "You're in a recovery room in New York City."

He looked her up and down, from the hair right down to the ghastly shoes. He knew it. He knew something was off. She knew they should have called in someone who had actually lived through the forties.

"Where am I really?"

 _Shit._

She smiled, letting out a tiny laugh, "I'm afraid I don't understand, Captain Rogers."

"The game. It's form May 1941. I know cause I was there."

 _Double shit_. The smile slid completely off her face then, and he stood up, towering above her. Peggy had always said he was so very tall, but Joei figured that was because Peggy was a good four inches shorter than she was. Joei was wrong. He was a goddamn Asgardian sized super soldier, and he was clearly not happy with her.

"I'm not going to ask you again. Where am I?"

 _Please forgive me some day._ Joei clicked the pen, not taking a step back and resisting the urge to swallow the dry lump in her throat, "Captain Rogers..."

"Who are you?!"

The door opened, and she heard the words "Step back," come in through the comm in her ear.

She watched nervously as the two agents approached him. It took him all of three seconds to throw them through the fake wall.

Joei turned quickly to the wall that hid the observation room and said, "I told you this was a bad idea!" before rushing toward the giant hole in the wall, "Captain Rogers, wait!"

He'd run off before she could finish her sentence, and she knew enough about him to realize that she would never catch him, uncomfortable shoes be damned. She grabbed the walkie talkie off one of the agents and spoke loudly as more agents rushed past her.

"All agents, Code 13. I repeat, all Agents Code 13."

She dropped the device and rushed in the direction he'd headed.

"Coulson?" she asked into the microphone on her watch.

"Head to the side door, I'll pick you up."

She rushed across the hallway and made it to the side entrance, where a Black SUV made a screaching halt and the door opened to let her in. she climbed in, kicking off the God awful shoes forcefully, and looked at an agent holding a laptop, "Where is he?"

"Two blocks off, headed towards the Square."

"As in Times Square?!"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Great," she muttered through her teeth, "I knew putting him in the middle of New York City would be a great idea."

The SUV turned and twisted through the streets, sirens on, until they stopped on the side of a large cluster of identical vehicles with S.H.I.E.L.D logos on the side.

"Stay here." said Coulson.

"Really, because I thought it would be a great idea for me to step out onto the middle of Times Square dressed in an old war uniform with a bunch of secret agents."

Coulson didn't reply, but his look told her she'd be doing extra push ups tonight.

She tore off the wig and the tie as she watched a very freaked out looking Steve Rogers get approached by Nick Fury. They spoke briefly, and Joei watched with curiosity as Rogers' expression changed. He knew now. He knew it had been seventy years. She knew he would find it impossible to deny as he looked around him, at the screens and cars and buildings that must have been something out of a SciFi novel for him. She also knew the moment in which he realized what seventy years meant. She saw his expression change, from fear to wonder to horror, until it reached pain and sadness. Seventy years was an entire life time.

She had known that he would realize it, no matter how long they put off telling him. No matter how slowly they broke it to him. The moment he heard seventy years, Steve Rogers knew that most, if not all, of his friends were dead. He knew that he had missed his chance at a dance with the pretty girl on the inside of his compass. He knew that everything he loved was probably gone, or so different from the way it had been that he would never recognize it.

Joei sighed, slumping back into the seat as she realized that telling Peggy about this would not be as easy as she hoped. She watched as Rogers climbed only half reluctantly into Fury's SUV, the agents clearing the path and stepping back into their own vehicles. She was silent as agents filed back into her SUV, as well as on the drive back to the base.

She watched from inside the building as Fury, Hill, and Captain Rogers stepped out of the last SUV and walked toward her and a small group of agents that she had been working with to create the fake hospital.

"Excuse me, ma'am?"

She startled slightly out of her deep thinking, trying not to look like a scared deer when Captain America spoke to her.

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

"I would like to apologize for my reaction earlier. And for yelling at you."

"Any one of us would have done the same, I'm sure," said Joei, letting her voice rise to make sure the other agents heard her, "Especially if the people trying to fool us had looked past such an important detail."

There was a lot of awkward shuffling behind her, though she knew exactly who had picked out that baseball game recording to start with.

"Apology accepted, Captain Rogers."

"Captain," said Fury, "This is Junior Agent 96. She's been in charge of the search for you, and your subsequent recovery since we found you. The two of you will be seeing a lot of each other in the near future, but for now I believe your doctors would like to take a look at you."

Fury pointed the last sentence toward Josephine, who had almost forgot about her new moniker for the time being, and she turned toward the lead doctor on her team.

"Dr. Michaels, please escort Captain Rogers to your lab. I want a full medical report as soon as you're finished, preferably typed out," she smiled jokingly, "Because I can't read half of your scribbles."

"Yes, Miss..."

"Ahem..."

"Yes, Agent 96."

"Junior Agent. Thank you."

"Captain, this way, please."

Joei watched them walk off toward the labs and turned toward Fury, "Sir?"

"Go home, Stark. Pack your things for the next three months. I'm putting you and Rogers up at the Retreat as soon as he's out of medical." said Fury, beginning to walk briskly with Hill at his side.

"The Retreat, Sir?" Joei asked, hustling to keep up.

"Banner's newly refurbished cabin," Fury explained, "Being away from all the new sights will hopefully keep him from being overwhelmed any further than he has been."

"I understand."

"I expect you here in two days. And get some sleep, Stark, you look like you haven't closed your eyes in a week." said the Director, turning a corner and leaving Josephine behind.

"Well, he's not wrong," she mumbled to herself, and began the walk toward the locker room to change back into her own clothes.

* * *

 **March 19, 2011**

Joei fidgeted with her car keys as she walked into the nursing home the next day. She couldn't think of leaving without speaking to her Aunt Peggy first, but she was extremely nervous about what she would say. She wasn't even sure if anyone had been in contact with her yet. Joei had asked that no one say anything until they were entirely sure of Steve Rogers' mental and physical state. She didn't want to give her aunt the hope of seeing him again as she remembered him, only to crush that hope if it turned out he was brain dead or didn't remember who he was.

As it was, medical had cleared him as far as his mental state. He remembered everything, down to hitting the ice cold water and passing out.

for it, or even knew about it. Perhaps it was too painful for Steve to talk about.

The receptionist smiled at her when she walked in.

"Hello, Joei. Here to check on Peggy?"

"Yeah," Joei smiled, signing in her name, "How's she doing?"

"It's a good day today."

Joei hated that phrase. The last few times she had called in to check on her Aunt, the nurses or doctors had repeated the same phrase. To say that it was a good day implied that Peggy was having bad days. Days that Joei knew would eventually get worse and closer in between. Bad days would turn into bad weeks, and yet she had no way of knowing when that would happen.

"Sharon's talking to her now," said the receptionist. "I'm sure they'll be happy to add you to their girl talk."

"Really?" Joei smiled, putting on the visitors' pass that the receptionist handed her, "That's great. I'll head up there now."

Turning around and walking toward the staircase, Joei bit her lip. Did Sharon know about Rogers? Did she have the clearance to know?

Joei knocked softly on Peggy's door and opened it, finding both Carter women sitting in chairs by the window, a table with cups of tea between them.

"Hey, girlies," Joei smiled, hugging her aunt and placing a kiss on her cheek, which the older woman returned, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Pull up a seat," Sharon smiled, hugging her 'cousin.'

"How are you, Aunt Peggy?" she smiled softly, grabbing a chair and sitting between the two.

"Do you mean, will I have a heart attack if you tell me Steve is alive?" the older woman said in her don't-try-to-bullshit-me voice, though her eyes continued to twinkle in that way that Josephine loved, "The answer is no, but you are too late to deliver the news."

Joei narrowed her eyes playfully at Sharon, who raised her hands above her shoulders, "Don't look at me. Fury did it."

"Of course he did," Joei rolled her eyes. "But at least now I can stop feeling so nervous. How do you feel?"

"I'm not entirely sure, darling," Peggy admitted, "Elated and sad at the same time. I've had a good life, dears. I had my adventures, I made a career, I fell in love and got married and had two beautiful children. And I have two nieces following in my footsteps. Despite the hardships, my life has been good."

"But?" asked Sharon.

"But," Peggy repeated with a sigh, leaning back in her chair to look out the window, "I care about Steve. I have always cared about Steve and there has always been a place in my heart for him. And knowing that he woke up somewhere alone, without a single familiar face, in a completely different world...it just makes me incredibly sad for him."

"Fury wants me to help him," said Joei, casting a side glance at Sharon, "He's sending us out to a safe house, and I'm supposed to help him learn about the new world."

"Well, Steve is a very fast learner," said Peggy with a small smile, "It won't take long. He has a photographic memory, you know?"

"I'll take that into consideration."

"Who else is going?" asked Peggy.

"Just me," Joei answered.

"Well, in that case, I believe it's time," Peggy said, casting a serious look at Sharon.

"Time for what?" asked Joei, looking between the two women.

"Your gift," Sharon smiled, standing when their aunt motioned to a drawer on her bedside table.

"I get a gift?" Peggy smiled, "What for? Is it a spy gift? Do I get one of those poison lipsticks?"

"I'm afraid I'm fresh out of poison lipsticks, darling," Peggy winked, "It's the small brass box, Sharon."

Sharon returned with the small box clutched in her hands, a bright smile on her face, "Oh, I think I know what this is."

"What? What is it? Do I get a hint?" Joei asked, sitting up straight.

"I'll give you one" Sharon said, "Right before I went on my first mission, I came to Aunt Peggy. She gave me this."

Sharon pulled back the lapel of her blazer to reveal two pins on the inside. One was a circle with a pair of wings, which Joei recognized as the SSR symbol. The other was a small US.

"The wings are mine," said Peggy, "And the US was part of Steve's uniform. When Steve went MIA, Howard took all of his things to 'search for clues,' after he was done with that he gave me the whole lot of it. I gave the military uniform to the Smithsonian, but I took the pins off and replaced them with extras that I had lying around."

"So, does this mean I get the other two pins?" asked Joei, looking down at the small brass box.

"No, dear," said Peggy, "I gave those pins to Sharon because I knew they would mean something to her. Sharon, why did you join S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Because of their values," said Sharon with conviction, "S.H.I.E.L.D protects people from things that nobody else can protect them from."

"And those values came from the SSR's belief in protecting the world, and from the old American notion of making the world a better place," said Peggy, "That's why I gave Sharon these pins. As a reminder of why she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Josephine, why are you joining?"

"I..." Josephine bit her lip. Next to Sharon's conviction and values, her reason seemed childish.

"You can say it, darling," said Peggy, and Joei knew that the older woman already knew exactly what the answer was, "There's no wrong answer to the question. Why did you decide to join?"

"Because of you," said Joei, looking down at her hands.

"That's not the only reason, dearest," said Peggy, eyes reaching deep into Joei's, "And I think it's time you realize that."

"Because..." Joei gulped, "Because I..."

Joei sighed. Peggy was right. She had been second guessing herself since she'd set herself on this path. She had gotten into her head that nobody would respect her because she was some spoiled rich girl, when really, people were willing to respect her. The only one who didn't believe she was more than a spoiled rich girl was her.

"Because I don't want to be known as another rich kid with a giant closet," said Joei, "I want to make a difference in this world, and not just by hosting galas and making donations. Grandpa helped win the war. And Dad...Dad's a freaking super hero who creates ground breaking technology! I'm not a genius like them. I'm not a super soldier like Steve. But I'm a girl who is tired of sitting around and smiling at cameras and looking pretty. You guys left a legacy. I want to do that, too, even if it means working in the shadows."

Peggy smiled, tears pooling in her eyes. Joei sucked in a surprised breath. In the many years that she had known Peggy Carter, she had never seen the woman cry.

"Aunt Peggy, are you okay?" Joei asked.

"Do you need to lie down?" asked Sharon.

"I know I'm old, dears, but must you both act like my bones are about to give out and turn to dust?"

"Sorry," they both said sheepishly.

"Now," said Peggy, "Everything you just said has made me even more certain that I chose the perfect gift for you, darling."

Peggy opened the small brass box, her fingers brushing lightly over whatever was inside before she turned it around to face Joei. The younger girl gasped softly, a hand going to her throat.

"Aunt Peggy," she whispered, "If that's what I think it is..."

"It's yours," said Peggy, "And I won't listen to a word you say otherwise."

"But this is Steve's."

"Oh, he won't think to look for it," Peggy waved a hand, "The chances of somebody finding his old compass are one in a million. I really have no idea how Howard managed to get his hands on it, although knowing him he might have developed some sort of tracking system far ahead of its time."

"May I?"

"Of course, dear. It's yours."

Josephine took the small round compass out of the box's velvet interior, almost afraid of clutching it too tightly and breaking it. She turned it around and around, finding the letters S.R. etched on the back, and along the bottom, the word 'Stark Ind.' in tiny letters.

"Did my grandfather make this?" asked Joei.

"He refused to let Steve use anything that wasn't made by him," Peggy rolled her eyes.

"Is your picture still inside?" Joei asked playfully.

"Look for yourself," Peggy smiled back, a familiar twinkle in her eye that Josephine had always loved.

Sharon looked over Joei's shoulder as she opened the compass, revealing a worn black and white picture, torn roughly from a newspaper and ripped at the edges to fit into the small slot.

"Had anyone else made that compass, that picture would have been ruined the moment it touched the water," said Peggy, "But Howard prided himself on making things that were virtually indestructible. You know, I didn't even know Steve kept my picture in there until..."

"...you saw it in a news real," Sharon and Joei repeated.

"We know," said Sharon with a smile.

"It's our favorite story." said Joei. "I still think you should keep this. It's such an important memory..."

Peggy laughed, "Oh darling, I have an entire box of Steve's things. Enough time has passed that no material things could ever replace his memory. Think of it as a reminder to always look forward, to never lose your way, to never forget why you joined S.H.I.E.L.D. Think of it as a symbol of our legacy. A legacy that you will continue."

Joei smiled at her Aunt then, wrapping her hand around the compass, "Thank you, Aunt Peggy. I promise I'll take excellent care of it."

"I know you will," said Peggy, "Now, explain to me how you plan on catching up Steve."

Joei spent the next few minutes telling Peggy about the research she'd been doing for the past three days, and how she planned to go about cramming nearly seventy years of history, culture, and technology into three months.

"Steve's cognitive abilities are just as enhanced as the rest of his abilities, darling," said Peggy, "Don't worry about being pressed for time."

"So you think he'll learn to use a cell phone?"

"Oh he'll learn, but he's stubborn enough to refuse to use it for at least six months," Peggy laughed, "Maybe more."

Sharon's phone rang a while later, while they were still talking and laughing, and she stepped outside. When she returned ten minutes later, a sour expression rested on her face.

"A twenty year old high school drop out just tried to explain to me how to fill out paperwork that I've been doing for five years," she rolled her eyes, "Apparently, 'as a woman, he thought I would be better at that sort of thing.'"

Peggy chuckled, "I see not much has changed. Don't ever let it get to you, dear, not for one second."

"I don't, I really don't," said Sharon, "But, how are you supposed to excel at your job when the people around you believe that you don't even have it in you?"

"Rough week?" asked Joei, sensing the built up tension in her cousin's voice.

"More like a rough two months," she answered, "That's how long I've been on this assignment with all these idiotic misogynistic assholes who think my job is to organize files and bring them coffee. I hate office work. I cannot wait for my ankle to finish healing so I can go back to undercover work."

There was a long silence, during which Peggy looked at both younger women knowingly.

"What did I say to you once, dear?" Peggy asked.

Sharon sighed, sitting straighter, "You said 'compromise where you can...'"

"And where you can't?" asked Peggy.

"Don't." both women answered together.

"Exactly," their aunt nodded, "I didn't get to be S.H.I.E.L.D's first director by letting people tell me what I could and could not do."

Their conversation continued for a while longer, until Peggy was obviously growing tired. Knowing that the older woman would never say so, the two nieces shared a silent look while Peggy was looking out the window.

"Well, I still have to go buy Steve some clothes," said Josephine, "Apparently nobody thought to give him something other than S.H.I.E.L.D T-shirts and sweat pants. Should I just get him khakis and flannel?"

"Yes, dear. Back in the day, t-shirts were considered part of a man's undergarments or sleepwear. Get the man some slacks and button ups." said Peggy.

"I should get back to the office," said Sharon, "I apparently have more paperwork to file. Do you want to go back to bed?"

"If you insist," said Peggy, rolling her eyes.

They both shook their heads and laughed, standing up to help their aunt back into bed, and then each giving her a kiss on the cheek goodbye. Josephine and Sharon said goodbye on the front lawn, each climbing into their cars and driving their separate ways. All the while, Josephine kept a tight grip on the old compass.

* * *

 **So originally, I was going to have Joei find the compass and then try to give it to Peggy, who would later return it to Joei. But this popped into my head just as I was making last minute edits, and it felt a lot more meaningful for Peggy to give her two nieces tokens that would help them carry out the legacy she created.**

 **Please remember to review and get a shout out from Joei and Tony!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey, everybody. I've been trying to write and keep up with these stories of mine but life has been a little complicated right now. I promise not to abandon this story, but updates may still take a while.**

* * *

 **March 21, 2011**

Lizzie touched down in an airport's private hangar and was ushered into an SUV by Maria Hill. She had hoped to get some sleep on the drive from the airport to the Retreat, but the knots in her stomach kept her awake.

There was an SUV parked in front of the cabin, and next to it, a familiar face stood propped up against a motorcycle.

"New wheels?" Joei asked, smiling slightly at her S.O.

"Think fast."

Joei barely flinched as she caught the set of keys, "I've never ridden a motorcycle in my life."

"You have three months to learn." Barton chuckled.

"Why do you only ever laugh at my suffering?"

Barton's quiet chuckle turned into a bark of laughter.

"I give it a week before you get bored of sitting inside giving history lessons and decide to come out here and ride. Hey, maybe the Good Captain can teach you. I hear he's good with bikes."

"From seventy years ago," said Joei, eyeing the much more modern black Kawasaki.

"Care to join us, Agent?" Fury's voice called from inside the cabin.

"That's my cue. See you around, Barton."

"Later, kid."

Joei entered the cabin with her hand in her jacket pocket, her hand gripping around the compass that hadn't left her side.

"Director," she nodded to Fury before turning to the super soldier who had stood from his seat to great her, "Captain Rogers. It's nice to see you again."

"Agent...uh...96, wasn't it?" Steve Rogers replied, eyebrow furrowed but seeming as polite as ever as he extend his hand to shake.

"I suppose since we'll be getting to know each other you should probably know my name." she said, eyes flickering to Fury.

"I don't see why not," said Fury, "Captain Rogers, meet Margaret."

Joei's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she returned her friendliest smile toward the Captain. Margaret? Really? What was the director playing at? The man acted like he was all knowing but Joei was starting to wonder if half his ideas weren't just absolutely terrible.

"Maggie," said Joei, a smile hitching at her lips. The only person who called her Maggie anymore was Peggy, "You can call me Maggie."

"Well, Maggie," said Steve, seeming to test out the new nickname for the name that must have brought on an onslaught of memories, "You can call me Steve."

Twenty minutes later, both 'Maggie' and Steve had been left completely alone at the Retreat, with clear instructions of both their responsibilities while they were here. A supply van would come in once a week, but other than that they wouldn't see another soul throughout the next three months.

Steve sat awkwardly on the couch, while Joei sat in the reclining chair with her legs crossed yoga style.

"Are you hungry?" Joei asked awkwardly.

"Not much. I had breakfast not too long ago."

"Okay," she nodded, "I should probably tell you, I'm not much of a cook...I've never really cooked for myself much..."

"I can cook," Steve shrugged, "I don't have a problem with making our meals."

Joei raised an eyebrow and smiled at the unexpected reaction, "You're not surprised by the fact that a woman can't cook?"

Steve let out a huff of air that was almost a chuckle, "With how different everything is now a days I wouldn't be surprised if meals could get sprayed out of a can ready to eat."

Joei's laugh felt a lot more relaxed this time, "Don't I wish. I'm glad you have an open mind, I'm sure you'll learn a lot faster because of it...Has Fury or anyone else told you anything about this time, or about what happened between then and now?"

"Not really. Just that the war is over, and that we won. And I can tell that technology has gotten a lot more advanced since I was gone."

"Yeah," Joei sighed and looked at him in what she hoped was an apologetic way, "I told Fury that waking you up in the middle of the biggest city in the United States was a bad idea but..."

"It's okay, really. If I hadn't run out into the middle of Times Square I might have never believed any of you."

"Still...it shouldn't have been shoved in your face like that. I was all for telling you the truth from the beginning but obviously I was way outranked by Fury."

"Speaking of which...I still don't understand what role you play in all this. I don't mean to be rude, but you don't look above twenty years old. Yet all those agents and scientists were working under your orders."

Joei had hoped to put off telling him her connection to him for as long as possible, so she tried to keep her answer as vague as she could, though she knew it would only bring more questions on the Captain's part. He wanted to know exactly what he was getting into.

"Has anyone told you who founded S.H.I.E.L.D, Steve?"

"No."

Joei sighed in frustration at her boss, "Seriously? That should have been the first thing Fury told you. I swear, he's done all of this wrong. Okay, you might as well get comfortable because I think this is where my lessons are going to start."

An hour later, Josephine had dug out her old pamphlets and books from the Academy and given Steve a complete history on the organization, from everything that happened after he went into the ice until now.

"Does every agent get such a detailed explanation?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed since the beginning of their conversation. Joei had already guessed he was wondering this, since she had included little details about missions and Peggy and Howard's exploits when Howard's secret weapons vault had been ransacked.

"No," she admitted, "I know a lot of these stories through a primary source."

"Did...did you know Howard?" Steve straightened slightly on the uncomfortable looking couch.

She shook her head, "I never met Howard. The accident was almost a year before I was born." Although her statement was completely honest, she couldn't help but feel like a liar, "I guess if we're going to live together for three months, and I already know so much about you, I might as well tell you something about who I am."

"It would be only fair," Steve said, and she saw the beginnings of a smile creeping on his face.

Joei smiled at the ground before beginning her carefully crafted story, "I wasn't born with the name Margaret. I actually don't know what my parents named me, or who they were. All I know is that when I was a baby, a man who I suppose was my father showed up at the steps of an orphanage with me in his arms. One of the volunteers once told me that he looked like he was hurt and he dropped me off there and begged them to take good care of me. He never came back and I spent the first few years of my life in that orphanage. I don't know anything about my mother. It's probably all on a file somewhere but I've never really thought about looking, I guess.

"The guy who ran the orphanage was named Mr. Peterson. He was the worst. He treated us horribly and he spent the orphanage's budget and donations on things for himself. On my sixth birthday we were invited on a field trip by one of the orphanage's top donors. He realized what was happening and he arranged for Peterson to be fired. And he found someone else to run the orphanage, an old friend of his parents' named Margaret Carter."

Steve smiled at that, a real smile despite his lips remaining closed, and Joei saw the same shine in his eye that Peggy got every time they discussed something particularly impressive that Steve had done.

"He adopted me not long after that, but for those last few months that I spent at the orphanage, I felt like I had never felt in my life. Peggy has a way of making you feel like you can be anything, do anything, and be loved by anyone in the world." Josephine had to blink away the tears that had formed in her eyes, but a couple managed to roll down anyway. She wouldn't be the one to tell Steve that Peggy was sick, at least not now that he was only just hearing about her.

"She talks about you all the time," she smiled at Steve, and noticed that there was tears in his eyes, too, "I don't think she's ever been prouder of anyone in her entire life."

"I bet she's proud of you," said Steve.

Joei gave a watery laugh, "Oh, I hope she is."

"She's one of the reasons you joined, isn't she?"

Joei shook her head, "She's _the_ _only_ reason. At least up until now. My dad and I...we're pretty well off. He's got a corporation that I'm set to inherit. I've even got some money of my own through investments and publicity deals and such. We help people all the time. I've started running all of our charity projects and I could just as easily save lives and keep people safe that way. But Peggy believed that I could do something more and all of a sudden I believed it, too. Whenever I feel like I can't do it, it just takes one conversation with her."

"Glad to know that's still the case," said Steve, "Maybe when this is over I should go talk to her. I could use a motivational speech disguised as a scold. Does she still do that?"

Joei laughed at the spot on description, "All the time...actually, every time. She'll probably yell at you for not swimming out of the frozen wasteland and then tell you to put the suit back on and find somebody new to punch."

Steve actually laughed this time, and Joei was able to feel comfortable enough to stand up and begin examining the cabin, "You know, I haven't had a chance to look at this place since we remodeled. Want to do some exploring? That couch doesn't look comfortable at all."

"I have slept in a muddy trench and I can tell you...it's the most uncomfortable thing I've sat on in my entire life."

Joei laughed, relieved that the man still had a sense of humor, "You know, Steve, I think you and I are going to get along just fine."

"I think we just might, Maggie."

* * *

 **March 28th, 2011**

Josephine's first week at the cabin had served to establish a pattern. She and Steve still found themselves sitting in awkward silence sometimes, but for the most part their days were closely similar. He always woke before she did, and when she would climb down to the gym in the basement to begin her morning workout (which had been laid out for her on a very large poster in the gym in comprehensive detail for the entirety of her stay), he would be finishing up. When she would return from her workout, it would be to find him setting the table for the nearly finished breakfast, showered and dressed for the day.

It was during breakfast on their seventh day, while they were caught in a rut of awkward silence, that Josephine's phone rang. She looked down at her cell phone at the caller ID, thanking herself for telling Tony that the cell phone signal at her "retreat" wouldn't be strong enough for video calls.

"Um, it's my dad," Joei smiled sheepishly before answering, "Hey, Dad, what's up?"

 _"Well, it's nice to at least know you're alive. It's not like I've been waiting for you to call or anything."_

"You're guilt tripping _me_ for not answering my phone, seriously? Besides, I'm pretty sure you've managed to sneak a microchip into my lunch at some point in my life and would be alerted immediately if I were dead."

" _I hadn't thought of it, but thanks for the idea. How's the rough life treating you?"_

"I miss my bed and the couches are about as comfortable as a pair of too small high heals, but it's not so bad."

 _"You don't mind going potty in an out house?"_

Joei rolled her eyes, "We have indoor plumbing, Dad. We even have a gym."

 _"What sort of retreat is this?"_

"A women's empowerment retreat." she lied, and he eyes flickered toward Steve who had a look of sudden realization in his eyes.

 _"Did you decide to do this because I never let you go to summer camp as a kid?"_

"Yes. It's my lifelong dream to find my long lost twin in a stinky cabin, beat her in a game of poker, and bond over our shared love of peanut butter and oreos. How's Pepper?"

" _She's good. She's here. She wants to talk to you, if the aggressive attempts to remove the phone from my ear are anything to go by."_

"Good, put her on."

" _Hi, honey,"_ Joei smiled at the sound of Pepper's voice.

"Hey, Pepper. How are plans for the tower coming along?"

 _"They're great! We're actually headed to New York in about twenty minutes, if I can get you_ _r_ _father to move away from the computer now that you've mentioned microchips."_

"Sorry. How is he actually doing? Is he sleeping?"

 _"_ _Well, guessing by the amount of coffee cups littered around the workshop, I want to say no."_

"What do you mean? You're not sleeping there?"

Joei almost felt the heat of Pepper's blush through the phone, and would have bet good money that the woman was the same color as her hair right now.

 _"Um, no."_

"Really? Why?"

 _"Well...we weren't sure if it was appropriate..."_

"Since when have you two ever worried about being appropriate?"

Tony's voice came in the form of a far off shout, _"Pepper thinks you'll be mad!"_

"You do?"

 _"_ _No! I just-"_

 _"She does!"_

 _"Tony, I did not say-"_

 _"But you meant it."_

 _"Do not put words into my mouth, please."_

 _"Actually they're coming out of my mouth."_

"Okay!" Joei said sternly, "I have stuff to do and my breakfast is getting cold. So I will just let you two figure out the sleeping arrangement on your own. And Pepper, if it were up to me you would have moved into the house when I was thirteen. I always pictured you staying in the guest bedroom, but if you want to stay with Dad, then that's fine by me."

 _"See? Now you have to sleep here."_

 _"Thank you, Tony, for ruining that wonderful moment. Joei, honey, thank you for being okay with this."_

"Of course I'm okay with it. I love you guys, and knowing that you love each other is just that much better."

 _"We love you, too, honey."_

 _"Yeah, kiddo, can't live without you. Literally wouldn't be alive without you seeing as you saved my life that one time on the roof."_

Josephine rolled her eyes, "Goodbye, crazy parents."

 _"Goodbye, cooky daughter."_

Joei smiled at her phone even after she had hung up, then looked up to find Captain America with his eyebrows furrrowed.

"Your parents don't know you're an agent?"

"Junior Agent," Joei corrected, "And no, they don't. My dad has been approached by S.H.I.E.L.D before and he probably wouldn't be too happy to know that they recruited me."

"Does he have something against S.H.I.E.L.D?" Steve asked. Joei could tell that he still didn't trust Fury completely, and would want to know if there were any negative opinions on the organization/

"No," Joei shook her head, holding back a laugh, "He wouldn't be very happy because he failed his assessment and they rejected him. They only let him in as a consultant. Also because he specifically told me once to stay out of the line of fire."

"He doesn't think you're strong enough?"

Joei was starting to regret taking on so much extra course work with Dr. Gardner. Every time Steve asked a question, she knew the reasoning behind it. This time, he was looking for someone to relate to. Everybody had thought he was too weak to join the army.

"I think he knows that I'm strong enough, but he also knows that I'm a lot like him. If I had to lay down my life to save somebody else's, I would do it without thinking twice, because that's exactly what he would do.."

"He sounds like a brave man."

"He is."

They finished breakfast in silence. Steve washed the dishes while Josephine dried them and put them away.

"What am I learning today?" asked Steve.

"Actually, today I'm the one who's going to learn from you." Joei said, walking toward the key hook by the door and grabbing two sets of keys, "You're going to teach me how to ride that two wheeled monster outside."

"It's not really the kind of bike I'm used to."

"Well then I will figure out the buttons and you just tell me when to push them."

"Sounds like a plan."


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello, lovely readers. Here I am again. Thank you to everybody who has stuck with my flaky updating for so long. This chapter will continue with Steve and Josephine's Retreat life. Please let me know what you think of their dynamic!**

 **Also, neither the Marvel characters in this story nor the two songs mentioned in this chapet belong to me. Thank you.**

 **UPDATE: I ADDED TWO PARTS TO THIS CAHPTER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FIT IN VERY WELL WITH THE NEXT CHAPTER. SO IF YOU READ IT THE FIRST TIME IT WAS UPLOADED, YOU MIGHT WANT TO SCROLL DOWN AND READ THE REST.**

* * *

 **April 10th, 2011**

Joei woke to a blinding light and a pounding headache.

"Woah, easy."

A warm hand rested on her shoulder, pushing her back into a bed.

"The light," she half groaned, half mumbled.

The room she was in dimmed considerably and she realized there was something cold on her head. She opened her eyes to see the silhouette of one Captain Steve Rogers leaning over her.

"I'm guessing that jump was not as easy as I thought," she said, referring to her last conscious memory of trying to jump over a rather large mound of dirt in woods with her motorcycle.

"No." said Steve, still sounding concerned, "The doctor got here about ten minutes after I brought you inside. He said you didn't have any head trauma and to let you sleep. There's a pretty big bump on your forehead, though."

"Great. Maybe tomorrow we should stay inside."

"Maybe we should," Steve chuckled, "You can finally teach me to use a cell phone. I had to punch every button on that damn table to get a line to the doctor."

"Tablet," Joei corrected, although she suspected he knew that and was just trying to lighten the mood more.

"Yes, that. I'll go get you a fresh ice pack. You should go back to sleep. And turn off your alarm. You deserve some extra rest."

* * *

 **April 11th, 2011**

Josephine groggily made her way toward the bathroom, brushing her teeth and washing her face quickly. She realized she wasn't wearing the same clothes she had yesterday when she fell off the motorcycle. It had probably been the female physician that had been assigned to them in case of emergency that had put on the pants and t-shirt she now wore. The thought of Steve changing her clothes made her blush, and then laugh at the thought of how the Super Soldier would have probably tried to change her clothes with his eyes closed if possible.

Her head still hurt as she exited her bedroom.

"Good morning," Steve said in a light and quiet voice when she walked into the kitchen, "I heard you moving around and thought you might like some breakfast."

"What time is it?" asked Joei, looking for the coffee pot and her mug before realizing it was empty.

"Eleven thirty," said Steve, "And before you go looking for coffee, I made you orange juice. It's much better for you."

"Ew."

"Oh please, Maggie, you love oranges."

Joei blinked in surprise as she took a seat at the breakfast table, "How do you know that?"

"Because you've eaten one nearly every day that we've been here. Sometimes two."

"Huh. How observant of you. But can't I drink orange juice after I've had my morning coffee? I don't think I can properly function without it."

"Which means you're drinking too much of it and should stop."

"Ha! You should meet my dad. He's the world's biggest coffee addict."

"I think I would very much like to meet your dad. I've already heard enough about him to know he must be a very impressive guy. Besides, I feel like I should thank him."

"For what?"

"For you."

Joei looked up and found that Steve was facing away from her. She couldn't see his expression, but she was almost certain that he must be blushing as much as she was. What was wrong with her? She'd been staying with Steve for three weeks now, and she'd been focused on her mission in what she thought was an objective way. So why was she still blushing like a schoolgirl? And at the cause of her elderly aunt's old flame! That last thought made her feel a little disgusted by herself, which was only made worse when she thought about James. She'd had plenty of time to call him in the last few weeks, and yet she hadn't thought once to do so. Even her texts to him were sporadic at best. She would call him today, she promised herself.

The moment of awkwardness was interrupted when Steve set a plate of egg whites, cheese, and spinach in front of her.

"You cannot force me to eat spinach."

"I have peak human strength, I can force just about anyone to do just about anything."

"Except force me to eat Spinach. Especially for breakfast? Who the heck eats spinach for breakfast? Rabbits?"

"I'll let you teach me how to dance," he bribed.

Josephine quickly stabbed half the spinach with her fork and stuck it in her mouth. When she finished chewing and swallowed, she gulped down half the glass of orange juice, "So gross, but worth it."

Steve chuckled and shook his head, "I'm going to regret this."

"Yep."

A couple of hours later, Josephine had showered, taken two ibuprofen for her headache, and was pushing the uncomfortable couches toward the wall while singing quietly to herself.

" _There is a castle on a cloud_

 _I like to go there in my sleep_

 _Aren't any floors for me to sweep_

 _There in my castle on a cloud..."_

"Should you be doing that?"

Joei straightened and turned to see Steve leaning against the front door.

"Singing or moving couches?"

"The singing was nice, actually," he said, going over to help her move the heavier of the couches, "What were you singing?"

"Peggy taught it to me when I was little," Joei said, remembering that day with fondness, "There's this play called Les Miserables. It's her favorite."

Steve nodded, "She used to read the book at camp. The spine was so worn that she had to keep it together with tape."

"Well, int he story there's a little girl named Cosette. Her mother has to leave her with this couple who are completely horrible to her, and she sings about a castle on a cloud where life is better and she has a mother that loves her."

"And what happens to Cosette? Does she get her castle and her mother?"

"Her mother dies," said Joei, pushing back a lamp to make more space, "But a man takes her in and becomes her father. She grows up with him and he gives her a good life. She gets a pretty happy ending. Peggy taught it to me when my dad was going through the adoption process, it was taking a long time and she didn't want me to lose hope."

"So you adn Cosette both got a happy ending."

"I suppose we did." Joei smiled lightly and then put her hands on her hips in a no nonsense tone, "Now, time for the next lesson."

Steve groaned, "I did promise, didn't I?"

"You did. Besides, how will you ever give Peggy that dance you owe her if you don't know how to dance? Come on."

She took his hands and led him to the middle of the room, leaving him there momentarily while she walked toward the record player that had been placed on one of the shelves, mostly as decoration. "There weren't really any songs from the 40s in the collection here, but I found something that shouldn't sound too strange to you."

Steve had walked in on Joei listening to music more than once, and his brow had furrowed while he tried to make sense of the strange noises and modern lyrics. He'd declared on one occasion that romance must have disappeared from the world while he was asleep.

She placed the needle down on the record and notes that she had heard often coming from Pepper's guest room or office began to play. Pepper was a big fan of Louis Armstrong, and La Vie En Rose was one of both her and Joei's favorites.

"May I have this dance, Captain?"

"You may, Margaret."

"Where did you learn to dance?" asked Steve when they were eating dinner that evening.

"Pepper bribed me into taking ballroom lessons when I was fourteen. My dad and I attend a lot of parties and she said that once I was a teenager, spinning around and jumping with him was no longer going to cut it."

"What did you say your dad does again?"

"He owns a company."'

"What type of company?"

"Um...well right now he's focused on alternative energy."

"Like those wind farms you told me about?"

"Sort of..." Joei said vaguely. "Hey, do you think we should do some night riding?"

"You just fell off the bike yesterday."

"So?"

Steve smiled, "Are you always this headstrong?"

"I am when I need to learn something. I'm a junior agent and I can hardly make it through an obstacle course, I have little to no stealth skills, and I can't ride a motorcycle. I'm officially the worst spy ever."

"You're a good teacher, though."

"I'll give that some thoguht if being a billionare ever falls through."

Joei's phone range before Steve could say anything back. Joei looked at the caller ID and her heart sank with sudden guilt. Jimmy.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, are you okay? I heard you fell off your bike."_

Joei groaned, "Does everybody know?"

" _Of course not, but your doctor just happens to have a sweet spot for one of the twins...or both of them, I'm not really sure. Anyway, they called me and said you bumped your head pretty hard. Are you okay? Is someone there taking care of you?"_

"I'm fine, and yes there is someone here with me."

 _"Anybody I should know about?"_

Joei sighed, "Jimmy..."

 _"Come on, it's not like I'm going to tell anyone."_

Joei got up from the table and lowered her voice as she walked to her room. "You know I can't tell you. Clearance exists for a reason and we can't let our relationship get in the way of that, or any part of our jobs."

 _"I wish you trusted me."_ he said resentfully.

"I do, but we can't have this fight every time one of us has a mission."

" _You mean every time you have a mission. I'm just a techy."_

"Techs get assignments, too. And I won't always be allowed to know about them."

" _I would tell you."_

"You know you wouldn't, not if Fury gave you orders not to."

Jimmy was silent for so long on the other side that Joei almost asked if he was still there.

 _"I guess you're right. I'll call you later. Or you can call me when your mission is over. I wouldn't want to interrupt your mission."_

"Jimmy, come on..." he hung up before she could say anything else.

Josephine sighed in frustration and tossed her cell phone onto her bed.

"Is everything okay?"

She jumped slightly. She hadn't heard Steve get up from the kitchen and walk toward her door. She shook her head and sat on the bed, "It was my boyfriend..."

"I gathered that much."

"He's a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but his clearance level has always been slightly lower than mine. Even when I started at the Academy. It was never a problem before but now..."

"He feels like you're keeping secrets from him." Steve sat next to her on the bed, keeping a couple feet between them.

"Yeah. And that's ridiculous because we're both _spies_. Our entire lives are going to revolve around secrets. Some day he won't be able to tell me what he's doing, either. Actually, I'm pretty sure he's on an assignment away from his base right now."

"I can't say I'm an expert when it comes to relationships, but it doesn't sound like he's being very fair."

"He's always had a slightly inflated ego. He gets moody when someone deflates it."

"Does he have any redeeming qualities?"

"Or course! He's great, ego aside."

"What are they?"

"What are what?"

"His redeeming qualities?"

"Oh..." the question took Joei by surprise. She had always thought James was wonderful. He was charming, of course. "Well, there's...I mean he's..."

"I'll leave you to think about that." said Steve, patting her lightly on the knee before getting up. He walked out of her bedroom and closed the door softly behind him.

Joei groaned and flung herself back into the mattress. "Damn it. Where's Caitlin when I need her? She'd know what to do."

She realized that she was talking to herself, but hoped Steve had gone down to the basement gym or outside. Or maybe he would think that talking to oneself was a new thing. Either way, she couldn't care less.

"Okay, let's review. James was my very first friend. He helped me get through the first semester at the Academy. He's cute and charming. He...taught me to climb that stupid rock wall. He surprised me on my birthday. His kissing is...okay. And I...trust him?"

She hated the way that last phrase came out as a question. Did she trust him? What did she trust him with? Not her secrets. She could tell him some of her feelings, but she mostly relied on Caitlin or Pepper to vent all her feelings to. Most importantly, did she trust him with her heart?

For some reason, her mind went to the super soldier on the other side of the door. She had known him for much less than Jimmy and yet she felt compelled to run out of her bedroom and tell him all of the innermost thoughts that were running through her head. Maybe he was easy to trust because she knew that his kindness and empathy were just as enhanced as his physical abilities. She'd read all of Erskine's and her grandfather's notes, after all, and she'd heard every story Peggy had to tell.

She shook her head in annoyance. She was here on a mission. If James Fullerton couldn't understand that, he would have to wait until her mission was over to talk.

* * *

 **May 1** **st** **, 2011**

"Well, Steve, I think that about covers our history lessons." said Joei, closing the last of the history books she had brought with her, "That was a lot faster than I thought."

"Are you going to teach me to use modern technology now?"

Joei laughed at how much Captain America could look like an over excited puppy when he wasn't frowning.

"Well you figured out how to use the microwave and the television remote all on your own." Joei stood from the kitchen table that worked as their desk and stretched lightly.

"After almost breaking them," he mumbled. "Come on, you're not going to send me blind out into a world full of screens and mobile devices, are you?"

"Okay, I will teach you how to use a computer, just don't go trying to google yourself."

"To what myself?"

"Nevermind. Just don't do it. I did it once and it was a very bad idea. People are weird. Especially on the internet. I'll teach you after we take a break. I could use some fresh air."

In the past month Joei and Steve had spent more time together than Joei had thought they would. Aside from meals and Joei's "classes," they found themselves enjoying each others company during their free time. She had started waking earlier and going to the gym with him, where he would give her pointers on how to improve her fight technique and her workout form, and she would show him how to use some of the newer exercise machines. He still said that nothing beat knocking around a punching bag until it fell off its hook or burst open. Joei was still a little jealous that he could do that.

She had started learning how to cook thanks to his instruction, although he didn't use many spices. Joei had wondered why that was, and had gone ass far as to research popular dishes from the 30s. It was only yesterday that she'd realized he didn't use spices because they were too expensive in his time. She'd felt like slamming her head against the wall. How hadn't she realized that he grew up in the middle of the great depression? That was why he'd thought twinkies and pop tarts were disgustingly sugary. Sugar wasn't as available in his time.

"Steve?" she asked softly when he was sitting on the front step of the porch and she was on the porch swing with her feet tucked under her.

"Hmm?" he hummed in question, not looking up from his sketch book. He always sat with his book facing away from her, and she never questioned what he was drawing.

"What was your mother like?"

She wasn't sure he would answer. He had mentioned his mother once or twice in their many talks out on this porch, but they had never talked in detail about her. Joei had never said it outright, but he knew that she had grown up without a mother, even if Pepper had been a mother figure to her since she was thirteen. They agreed that little girls needed mothers, and she'd had to learn to make do without one.

Steve made one last stroke with his pencil before looking up at Joei.

"She was...warm." a soft smile appeared on his face. That was the thing about Steve. He didn't smile much, but when he did, it was like he was smiling for the first time, "Even when we were freezing cold, and we weren't sure what we were going to eat tomorrow, and she came home exhausted from work, she always made me feel like everything was going to be alright."

"She sounds lovely."

"She was." Steve stood from the porch and went to sit next to her on the swing, "I think she would have really liked you. And she probably would have given you a great big hug the minute she met you. That's what she did with Bucky."

"You really miss him, don't you?"

Steve sighed and leaned back against the swing, causing it to creak slightly, "To everybody else, it's been seventy years since Bucky died. But to me it's been a few months. Two months ago I saw all my other friends. I heard Howard laugh and I promised Peggy a date thinking that I wasn't going to see her again. And now, I get to see her, but she's lived a long and fulfilling life, whereas to me she was in her twenties just two months ago."

"Do you..." she hesitated. The question had been weighing on her since she'd started this mission, getting heavier every time she saw Steve frown, "Do you ever wish that we hadn't...that I hadn't..."

Steve shook his head, "This is not your fault. And no. Maybe at one point I did wish that I had just been left there, but seventy years _have_ gone by. Most people don't get a chance to come back from the dead. So I shouldn't be complaining if I came back a little later than I would have wanted."

"It's okay to be angry, you know?"

"I know. And maybe one day I will be angry. But not at you." he said, standing, "I'm going to go get some water, and then I'll be back to draw that sunset. You want anything?"

"No, thank you."

The sun was just beginning to lower itself toward the horizon, painting the sky with every color imaginable. It made her miss Malibu and watching the sun rising from the beach. She'd spent so little time in Malibu since joining S.H.I.E.L.D. Sometimes she wished she'd told Fury to take her money for the search party and go away. But then she would think of Peggy, slowly forgetting her own legacy in a hospital bed. She wanted to do this for Peggy. She wanted to be the kind of person who made a difference in the world, who kept the world safe. Peggy had been the first grown up to make her feel completely safe, aside from Tony.

"Hey, you okay? You're crying, what's wrong?"

Joei startled and wiped her cheeks. She had noticed the tears coming down her face, but she was too preoccupied in her own thoughts to remember the super hero who would be coming outside any moment.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"You want to talk about it?"

She did. But she hadn't told him that Peggy was sick. She didn't know how. He had looked so relieved to know that Peggy was still alive, but he was still conflicted about what he would say to her when they met again.

"I'm fine, really."

"Is this about your...James?"

"No. I actually haven't really thought about him in a couple weeks," she admitted guiltily.

"He hasn't called you?"

"He's on a mission, last I heard."

"Would you answer if he did?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Why are you so interested in my love life anyway?" she asked with a smile.

"Probably because mine is non-existent."

"Hey, I'm sure that as soon as Fury lets us out of here, there will be a long line of girls hoping to get a date with you."

"Why, because I'm Captain America?"

"No, because you're hot."

She wanted to slap a hand over her mouth and take the words back as soon as she said them. It was true, of course, and he knew it even if he was modest enough not to flaunt his good looks. And if Joei might stare a little too long when he did pull ups in the gym, neither of them would dare mention it. But she just had to go and make things awkward by sticking her foot in her mouth.

Steve had turned so red that she wasn't sure if he was still breathing.

"I...uh...thanks..."

"You're...welcome?"

He snickered but said nothing.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. Now I've made everything super awkward," she said, talking fast like she usually did when she was nervous, "We can pretend it never happened..."

"Hey, hey, it's okay, really. It's not like I never say things that are borderline inappropriate..." he frowned at the last bit.

It was true. He was constantly slipping up with compliments and comments that made Joei think he might be coming onto her, but he'd never said anything brash. And telling a man he was hot was pretty brash by his standards.

"So, um, you were going to draw the sunset, right? I think I'm going to go for a ride on my bike."

"Okay."

"Okay."

She awkwardly made her way inside to get the keys before heading back outside. He was staring at the horizon and sketching madly when she passed him on the porch.

Through her helmet she could hear the wind rushing past her as she rode. She was getting a lot better with obstacles and jumps, but today she just wanted to ride around the property without training. Steve had told her that if she learned properly, she was never going to want to get off. He'd been right.

As she rode past the front porch again, her thoughts came back to the super soldier, as they had often done in the past couple of weeks. At first she'd reasoned that it was a schoolgirl crush. She was nineteen and he was a super hero. But since they'd begun spending more time together she had gotten to know him as a real person, not as a legend. Besides, she was lying to herself if she thought she could still get that starstruck. She'd grown up alongside celebrities, and even a super hero couldn't quite phase her anymore.

There was the question of age, too. Was he ninety-something or twenty-something? He had been born more than ninety years ago, of course. But he had the body, mind, and experience of a man in his twenties. He'd been frozen, unable to age. So technically that made him twenty-something, only a few years older than her.

She shook her head. Whatever she thought she was feeling was just a result of being confined with only his company for too long. It was almost like Stockholm Syndrome, except she wasn't being kidnapped or tortured. Unless she counted her workout plan as torture, which she was very much tempted to do.

A light ringing sounded from the helmet, which she had hooked up to FRIDAY and her cell phone.

"Incoming call from Dad."

She stopped and turned off the engine in front of the porch. Steve must have gone inside.

"Put him through, Fri."

" _Hey,_ _how's_ _my_ _baby_ _Mary Wonllstoncraft doing?"_

"Did you just compare me to a suffragette? I think I have a long way to go before that. Hey give me a second, I'm going to put on the hands free."

She took off the helmet and took her blutooth device from her pocket, turning it on and putting it on her ear.

"Can you hear me?"

" _Loud and clear, kiddo. Now, I don't mean to rush you, but when are you coming home from your Women's Empowerment Thing?"_

"Miss me already?"

" _I missed you since the day you left. But I'm asking because the board has been getting on both mine and Pepper's back. We named you head of philanthropy projects and you haven't shown up for work."_

"I'm working on something, I promise." she said, noticing Steve's black sketch book had been left open to his drawing of the sunset. One tiny peek wouldn't hurt.

" _I know that, kid. And I know you're taking your time with this because it's important to you. But if we don't present something soon, we might lose our benefactors."_

Joei looked down at the drawing and her words got caught in her throat.

" _Hello? You still there?"_

"What? I mean, yeah. Sorry I just got a little distracted," she mumbled, eyebrows furrowing at the sketch in her lap, "I'll be back at the beginning of June, okay? I'll show you and Pepper what I've got and we'll present it the next day."

" _Alright, kiddo. Let me know if you need any help. Although Pepper might be more helpful with that sort of thing."_

"I already have an idea in my head, I just need to get it on paper. I'll have it ready as soon as I get back."

 _"_ _I believe in you, baby."_

"I know, Dad. I've gotta go. Bye."

She hung up on him before he could even answer.

Joei's hand hovered above the paper, afraid to smudge the fresh sketch.

The sunset was there, of course, but it was obviously not the focal point of the sketch. In the very center, larger than she must have looked in real life against the trees and the clouds, was a sketch of her on the motorcycle. Even from afar, it was extremely detailed. Steve had drawn her, but he'd drawn her as someone who was graceful, perfectly and effortlessly perched on the bike, hair blowing in all the right places, hands placed exactly as she did in real life and yet the tight grip looked more like strength than fear of flying off. If she shifted the paper just a little, it almost looked like she was moving in the sketch. Had Steve been trying to make her look like a super spy, or was this how he really saw her?

She turned toward the door, straining her ears for the familiar creaking of footsteps on the floorboards. The cabin was silent. She was probably overstepping some sort of personal space, but she needed to know. She flipped to the page beforehand, and the one before that and the one before that. Some were sketches of the woods, the cabin, or of people from Steve's past. One sketch of Peggy made her smile in particular. She was in her SSR uniform, and was aiming a gun directly at her. Joei would bet half her money that this picture was a memory, and that she had in fact aimed a gun at Steve Rogers at least once.

The rest of the pictures made her forehead wrinkle even further. Before the motorcycle sketch was one of Joei on the porch swing, as she had been sitting earlier with her feet up. He'd clearly been working on it for a while, as it was the most detailed. There was another of her hard at work on her laptop, stretched out on the couch. She remembered at least twice when she had been working on the summer reading Professor Gardner had asked her to do, and Steve had been sitting in the armchair by the fire with a sketchbook in hand. She'd thought he was sketching the fire.

There were other sketches that intrigued her even more. Sketches that were clearly done by memory, because he'd never had a sketch book with him during those moments. A sketch of her face and arms while she did a pull up in the gym. Another of her hands, just her hands, flipping the page in a history book they had been using last month. Another of her arm and fist hitting a punching bag. Two sketches of her eyes. One of her mouth. Some pages only had one, others had a series of half finished sketches all jumbled together onto one page, as if his thoughts had jumped from one memory of her to the other.

"Hey, you're finished. I thought for dinner - " Steve stopped when he was close enough to see over her shoulder, and she turned and held out the sketchbook to him.

"You draw me a lot." she said straightforwardly.

"I...um...yeah I guess I do."

"Really? You guess?" her voice was as monotone as she could make it, but one of her eyebrows flicked up.

"I mean, I draw what I see," he shrugged. It sounded like he'd told himself the same excuse many times over.

"We're in the middle of a forest, with a lake and mountains and an infinite amount of things to draw. And you dedicated at least twenty pages of that book to sketches of me doing random crap. And you draw me like...like..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You don't draw me as me." she said, shaking her head and walking towards the door.

"I draw what I see." he repeated, and this time there was no confusion in his voice.

She almost kept walking, determined to go inside and take a very long and hot shower. Instead, she paused at the door, careful not to look at him.

"Whatever this is, Steve, it's just a result of being confined to this place for so long. You haven't talked to another human being except the guy from the supply truck in two months. And I haven't spoken to anyone except for my parents over the phone. That's all this is."

For a moment she thought he would argue. Instead she saw him nod out of the corner of her eye.

"You're right. It's just the loneliness talking. We've only got one more month to go."

"Yeah."

* * *

 **May 7, 2011**

"We're leaving tomorrow."

Steve froze halfway out of his chair, empty dinner plate still in his hand. He slowly lowered himself back down, "I thought we still had a month."

"And now we have a day."

"Is this because of what happened last week because..."

"No," she said a little too forcefully. She took a quick breath and softened her posture and voice, "It has nothing to do with any of...that...I called HQ a few days ago and let them know that I had finished catching you up and that you know how to use a cell phone and the basics of a computer. I just need to get back home."

"Is everything alright?"

There it was. That infuriatingly sincere worry about everything and everyone.

"Everything is fine, Steve. It's just that my dad sort of gave me an actual job at his company and even the owner's daughter has to show up to work some time. I have to come up with this charity project and I thought I could do most of it from here but I could really use his and Pepper's help. And I should probably show it to some of the board members before my final presentation."

"Right. Yeah. I kind of forgot that you have other responsibilities."

"It's okay. I forgot, too. This place is a really good distraction from reality. We should wash these dishes and then pack. The van will be here to pick us up at ten sharp."

* * *

 **May 8th, 2011**

"Agent Hill," Joei raised an eyebrow when Fury's right hand woman stepped out of the vehicle, "I thought Coulson and Agent Hand were coming."

"Last minute change of plans. It's me and Agent Sitwell today."

"I thought Sitwell was on Hulk duty."

"Not today, Miss Stark."

Joei turned to the Agent to say hello, but was caught off guard by the appearance of Steve, who was staring at her with his eyebrows furrowed and the look of someone who was putting together a puzzle and did not like the final picture.

"Ready to go?"

"Huh?" Joei asked stupidly before realizing that Sitwell was awaiting an answer, "Oh, um, yes. We've packed up everything and can load up immediately."

Steve avoided her while they were helping the rest of the agents load up their belongings, including the many books and study resources that Josephine had brought along. Steve would be taking most of those to his new home, which would most likely be somewhere in New York or D.C.

When they were nearly ready, they both walked back inside to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Joei was expecting him to say something, but the soft clicking of the door as he shut it behind her was like a slap to the face.

She turned to face him and found him standing with his arms crossed, slightly hunched over himself and brows still furrowed in confusion.

"I don't know how I didn't see it." he said softly. She would have preferred a million times over that he'd have yelled at her.

"I wanted to tell you, Steve."

"But you didn't."

"Fury didn't want me to."

"He ordered you not to tell me who you were?"

"Well, not in so many words..."

"Not in so..." Steve huffed and took a step back, his back hitting the wall with a soft thud.

"Steve, I told you that I have been wanting to tell you the truth since the moment you woke up. I rehearsed over and over in my head what I would say when I introduced myself to you as Howard's granddaughter but then Fury introduced me as Maggie and it was just..."

"Easier?" he said accusingly.

"Yes," she admitted, "It was hard enough talking to you about Peggy."

"Why?"

"Because it just was!"

"What could possibly be hard about talking about Peggy?"

"Everything! Everything is complicated when it comes to talking about Peggy, Steve. At least it is with you. You remember a spy in her twenties that could do one hundred and seven one armed push ups and carried a gun and had you head over heals in love with her. Peggy isn't that person to me. She's an old woman who gave me candy and sang me lullabies and read me bedtimes stories and has spent the last few years in a nursing home trying to act like she's going to live forever when we both know she isn't."

Tears were stinging in her eyes as she reached the end of her rant. She took a deep and shaky breath and continued, a lot slower and quieter this time.

"It's hard enough, talking about someone that we both love. But if you'd known I was Howard's granddaughter, you would have wanted to know about him, too. He was dead before I was even born, Steve, but the few things I know about him are not good things. I know he was a good friend to you during the war but I didn't grow up hearing good stories about him. When you think about Howard you remember the guy who helped you become a better man and liked to make jokes and helped us win the war. When I think about Howard Stark do you know what comes to mind?"

"No, I can't say I do."

"I think about how there isn't a single picture of him in our house. About how my dad never heard the words 'I love you' or 'I'm proud of you' come out of those man's lips. About how for so long my dad thought that the only way to make me feel loved and happy was through buying me expensive things because that was the only kind of affection he ever saw from his father. I think about the tiny burn mark on my father's neck, from a time when Howard slapped him across the face with a cigarette in his hand and it grazed him. How was I supposed to have this conversation with you, and then live next to you for three months?"

She was on the verge of tears again, and it was making her irrationally angry. How much had she cried in the past year alone?

"Well," said Steve, straightening up and walking toward the door, "I'm sorry that I've been such a burden on your conscience. You won't have to worry about that anymore. Thank you for the lessons."

He walked out, and through the window she saw him crawl into an SUV. She angrily wiped at her face, stomped to the bedrooms to make sure nothing was left behind, and closed the doors to each. She was back in the living room when she decided to turn around and go back to the room where Steve had slept. Digging into the inside pocket of her jacket, she produced the compass that Peggy had given her and hung it carefully on the headboard. It would be safe here. She loved Peggy, but she was done trying to continue a legacy which had never been hers in the first place. She knew Aunt Peggy, not Agent Carter. She knew her dad and their new legacy, not Howard Stark and his war profits. She even knew Steve, but she had yet to come across Captain America. She would make a name for herself at S.H.I.E.L.D without the help of anyone's legacy.

* * *

 **Steve and Joei seem to have developed a rather complicated relationship. And before you guys attack me about Joei's age, remember that she is nearly nineteen and Steve is technically in his mid twenties. There are a few years between them, which is why I didn't have them kiss or so anything inappropriate aside from a few awkward conversations.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello wonderful readers, I should have probably let you all know much earlier, but this is the last chapter of Part 2! A friendly reminder that I did add 2 parts to Chapter 16, so if you read it when I first posted it, you might want to go back and read that last bit.**

 **After this comes the events of the Avengers. I know that in the MCU, Steve was only awake for a couple weeks before getting thrown into the events of the Avengers. In my version he is much more prepared, so we'll see how that changes things up!**

 **Keep an eye out for part 3, which will be called Live to Rise (yes, like the song off the Avengers soundtrack). It should be up some time soon, I promise this time. Until then, enjoy the end of Part 2.**

 **Disclaimer: This story is purely fanmade and no profits come from it.**

* * *

 **June 1, 2011**

Tony leaned toward his daughter and bumped her shoulder with his own, "You nervous?"

"Extremely. I think I'm going to puke." said Joei, gripping her binder so tightly that her fingers were starting to hurt.

"Kiddo, you've got this in the bag. They all love you, anyway."

"Not since you put me on the payroll, they don't."

"Hey, look at me," Tony turned to his daughter and held her by the shoulders. They were in the elevator at Stark Industries headed up toward the conference room. "I have never seen an idea presented to the board with this much preparation. You're going to do great. They're going to love your idea. It'll make amazing PR and it will actually help people so just get up there, give them a smile, and knock their socks off."

"And if you ever feel nervous, I'm told imagining the crowd in their underwear is a good relaxation technique," Jarvis clipped in.

"Thanks, J."

There was a handful of directors and one intern already inside the conference room when they arrived.

"Tony Stark, early to a Board of Directors meeting," said one of the men, "Now I've seen it all."

"Maybe Josephine should be present for all of our meetings. If only to get Tony to come."

Laughs swept around the room as Pepper walked in, sipping on her morning coffee.

"Or maybe my ideas are just that much more interesting than yours, Mr. Waters."

Pepper choked on her coffee and the mens' smiles were wiped off their faces. A few of the other directors smirked or coughed to hide their laughs. People began to take their seats as the missing directors walked in, and pretty soon Joei found herself standing before a full audience. Pepper was situated at the far end of the table, directly across from Joei in her CEO chair. Tony was on her right, since he still had the biggest share of the company.

With a deep breath, she flashed her biggest winning smile and began the presentation.

One hour later, Josephine walked briskly toward Pepper's office with a smile on her face. As soon as the door was closed behind her and her parents, she squealed loudly and began to jump up and down.

"They approved it!"

"I told you they would," Pepper smiled.

"You did great, Josephine." said Tony, unbuttoning his suit jacket as the door closed behind him, "We should celebrate. Lunch?"

"Yes, I am famished," said Pepper.

Tony walked off and began to make a phone call to reserve a table. Josephine turned toward Pepper.

"Pepper, do you really think this is a good project?"

"Honey, of course it is. You're proposing higher education opportunities for hundreds, maybe thousands of orphans. Nobody could have come up with a better project."

"While I was at my...retreat, I looked up some of the kids that were in the orphanage with me. More than half of them aged out of the system and only three of them got into college. One already dropped out. It's not fair."

"No, it's not. You're one of the lucky ones." said Pepper, leaning against her desk.

"The luckiest," said Joei with a smile, "I get to have the one thing every orphan always wishes for."

"What's that?"

"Parents." Joei smiled, waiting to gauge the older woman's reaction.

"Parents? As in plural?" Pepper's smile widened.

"Well," Joei answered slowly, "You could have also been regaled to older sister status but that would be extremely awkward seeing as you're in a relationship with my dad. I know we haven't really talked about it and I still call you Pepper but I was thinking that maybe-"

Before Joei could finish her sentence, Pepper's arms were already wrapped tightly around her.

"Does this mean I can call you Mom?"

Pepper answered her with a watery laugh against her shoulder, "Yes, it does."

"Hey, you girls ready to go? What's happening here?" Tony's voice cut in. Had they been any other two people, it would have ruined the moment, but Joei and Pepper were used to his blunt interruptions.

"Get over here and participate, Tony," said Pepper, "That's an executive order."

"You don't have to tell me twice." said Tony, wrapping his arms around his daughter on the other side so that Joei was sandwiched between the two of them. His curiosity won over within a few seconds and he asked, "Why are we hugging?"

"Aaaaaand now it's ruined," said Joei. "Lunch time."

"What? That's it?" asked Tony, reluctant to let go, "I was enjoying this whole Tanner family moment."

"Sorry, Bob Saget, but I'm hungry," said Pepper. "My car?"

"Sounds good," said Joei, "I'll go get Happy."

"I'll go tell my assistant."

Tony was left standing in the middle of the room looking confused, before shrugging and making his way out of the office. He was hungry, too.

* * *

 **July 4th, 2011**

Joei paced back and forth in front of her mirror, cell phone in hand and still wearing her dressing robe from her shower, "Hi, Steve, how are you? I know we didn't really leave off on the right foot but...okay no, I sound like a robot..."

"Talking to yourself, Stark?" a familiar voice sounded from behind her. Caitlin had been back for two weeks, and Josephine could not be more grateful. Caitlin had been informed of Joei's mission a few days before Joei was back in Malibu, and as soon as the girls had seen each other again they had rushed out to the Starks' private beach so that Joei could catch her best friend up on everything that had happened in their time apart.

Now, the younger Stark had flung herself onto her bed, and Caitlin had crawled in next to her.

"What's up, monkey?"

"I have a dilemma, cupcake."

They had taken to calling each other increasingly ridiculous nicknames after a trash tabloid had accused them of being a lesbian couple. While both girls were firm supporters of the LGBTQ community, neither one was romantically inclined toward the same sex. They had certainly gotten a laugh out of the accusation.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Steve's birthday."

"Ahhhh," the older girl nodded, "That's kind of weird don't you think?"

"That America personified has the same birthday as America itself? Super weird. But I have a bigger issue right now. Should I call him?"

"Do you want to?"

"Yes...and no...but also yes. I have no idea what to say to him if I do."

"You could send him a message."

"I only have his house phone. I'm not sure he even uses the cell phone S.H.I.E.L.D issued him."

"I meant like through snail mail."

"When would that even get there? I've never sent a letter in my life."

"You have a jet. Drop it off."

"He lives in Brooklyn, Cait. I'm not going to take the jet from Malibu to New York to deliver a letter because I'm too much of a weenie to call a guy."

"Really? Because I would."

They were silent for two beats before simultaneously bursting into giggles.

"Everything okay in there?" Pepper's voice sounded from the other side of the door before it clicked open and she walked in, wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a red and white striped shirt. "Why aren't you dressed yet? Come on, Rhodey already has the grill on and your dad is making a bonfire."

"You really think it was a good idea to leave dad alone with a fire, Mom?" asked Joei, sitting up in bed.

"Happy's with him."

"You really think it was a good idea to leave dad and Happy alone with a fire, Mom?"

Pepper smacked her lips, "Not my brightest moment. I'll see you girls outside."

Pepper was gone in a flash of strawberry blonde and Joei walked toward her closet to pick out an outfit.

"I should just call him, shouldn't I? I mean, I know he's mad. But there's a chance that he doesn't hate my guts and he'll answer."

"I'm sure he doesn't hate your guts."

"But if he does this is a perfect way to find out. I'll just call him, and if he doesn't hang up on me the second he hears my voice, that means he doesn't hate me."

"You do that. I'm going to go to my own room to find something patriotic to wear."

The door closed securely behind Caitlin, and Joei found herself staring at her phone before taking a deep breath and pressing the call button with a little too much force. Steve's number rang four times before going to voicemail.

"Um, hi, Steve," Joei started nervously, "I guess you must be busy. I just called to see how you were doing, and to wish you a happy birthday. So, Happy Birthday. I hope you're enjoying your day. And, well, that was it, I guess, so bye."

Joei sighed as she hung up the phone. Part of her was relieved that he hadn't answered. Another part, however, was left unsatisfied. She wanted to know more about how he was adjusting. Had he run into any cultural speed bumps along the way? Had her lessons been useful? How was he spending his birthday? Had he braved a department store or was he still wearing the clothes she'd bought him?

Realizing that these questions were never going to get answered until she actually asked him, she sighed and walked to the closet to find something to wear. The red, white, and blue theme made her stomach churn, but she pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top in the color scheme anyway and plastered a smile on her face as she made her way outside to celebrate with her family.

* * *

 **July 18, 2011**

"Everyone is here," said Caitlin as she walked into the small lounge behind the conference room. "I don't think I've ever seen the press this excited."

"They're probably hoping I'm about to unveil myself as the next robotic super hero." said Joei, checking her hair in the mirror one last time and smoothing out her dress.

"Well they couldn't be more wrong," said Tony, holding out both arms to Joei and Pepper "Shall we, ladies?"

"I think Joei should walk ahead of us," said Pepper. Her eyes had been watery with pride all day, "And the two of us can walk in arms linked behind her. We're just here for support, remember?"

"Right. Right," Tony nodded, lowering one arm and turning to his daughter with a smirk, "Your old man forgets sometimes that it's not always about him. The majority of the time it is, but you can get some time in the spotlight every now and then."

"Gee, thanks, Dad," Joei rolled her eyes and smoothed out her dress one more time, "Here goes nothing."

She had never been the first person to walk into a press conference. Having all eyes fall immediately on her was nervewracking, but it only strengthened her resolve. She had already impressed the Board, but now came the hard part. Making the press, and therefore, the people, take her seriously.

When she'd begun planning this conference, she hadn't been sure what the press would expect from her. Did they expect jokes and relaxed rambling like her dad? Or did they expect her to be stoic and straight to the point like Pepper? In the end, she'd decided on being her own person, and talking as she would to anyone else. The notecards were on the podium waiting for her, but she hardly had to look down at them. She'd rehearsed this for days.

"Hi, everyone. I have to admit this is not as easy as my dad or Pepper makes it look." she smiled charmingly as she'd been doing for years, "For a bunch of people in suits and pencils skirts, you're pretty scary."

A soft laugh ran through the small crowd, and she felt instantly better.

* * *

 **September 3rd, 2011**

Joei knocked on the door to Dr. Garner's office, which was already slightly ajar, "May I come in?"

"Miss Stark," Dr. Garner smiled kindly, "Of course, of course come on in. I was just finishing up here with Phil."

Joei hesitated in surprise when she was inside the room, "Agent Coulson. Fancy seeing you here."

"Miss Stark. Andrew was just giving me some assessments I've been needing," said Coulson, standing from his chair as he placed a stack of file folders in his briefcase.

"I didn't know you two were on a first name basis."

"Oh, well Phil and I go way back," said Dr. Garner, "We're old friends, aren't we Phil?"

"Well, I don't think we're that old," Coulson joked. Joei could do nothing but blink a few times. She'd never seen Agent Coulson this relaxed. "I'll be showing myself out. I'm sure the two of you have a lot to work on."

"Those files," Joei motioned to the briefcase, "Anybody I should know about?"

"Not yet," said Coulson, "Enjoy the new semester, Miss Stark. Say hello to Agent Graham for me."

"Will do, Agent Coulson."

The older agent was out of the office with a soft click of the door. Joei turned to her professor and smiled, "So, what's the plan for this semester?"

"Well, your counselor sent over your transcript, and I'm not sure how the hell you did it but you managed to get nearly all your credits done in the little time you've been here."

"Well my AP scores took care of most of my basic classes. And I did transfer a few of my Academy classes, albiet with fake names."

"Not to mention all the online classes you've been taking without telling me."

"Hey, I had to catch up with the time I lost."

"You did more than catch up, Miss Stark. You're practically a senior."

"And at just shy of nineteen years old, too." Joei said smugly, taking a seat in front of Professor Garner's desk.

"I'm taking you on as a full time intern."

"You are?" Joei sat straighter.

"Yes. I've taken a look at your class schedule and drew up a work schedule to match," he said, sifting through some papers to pull out a small piece of laminated cardstock. "Agents Graham and Barton also sent me their training schedules so we wouldn't overlap."

Joei looked down at the paper and scoffed, "I'm sorry, you seem to have forgotten to schedule time for breathing. This is literally all day every day."

"Not all day. You still have time for homework and sleep."

"Gee, thanks. Maybe twice a week I'll be able to pencil in a shower."

"If you're lucky. I'd also like for you to take a look at an evaluation I just got started with. Here's the material we have so far," he handed her a flash drive, "Listen to the audio recordings, read the notes, let me know what you think. It's for some new task force S.H.I.E.L.D wants to make."

"Sounds good," Joei nodded, "Anything else?"

"That will be all, Miss Stark."

"Thank you, Professor," she stood, ready to exit the office.

"Oh, by the way, I saw your press conference the other day."

"What did you think?" she asked. In the few months that she'd known Dr. Garner, she had come to greatly respect his opinion.

"A guarantee of education for orphans and foster children is something the world has been waiting on for too long. Have you thought about opening up a school?"

"I think I'll start with scholarships for now, but maybe some day. Some representatives from Culver reached out, actually. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Not at all," he shook his head, but the small quirk of his mouth made her think he'd had a say in Culver University's enthusiasm to fasten itself onto Josephine's new project before any other school did. "Culver is going to be your alma matter. Maybe they just thought it would be good PR."

"Yeah, maybe," Joei smiled, "Thank you, Dr. Garner. I'll see you in class."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Miss Stark."

* * *

 **October 3rd, 2011**

"Why am I analyzing a bunch of dead people again?" Joei asked from the small desk that had been set up in a corner of Dr. Garner's office. They had both been at work for hours, and she was completely stuck on one particular test subject.

"I've learned not to ask too many questions when it comes to S.H.I.E.L.D." Dr. Garner answered from his own desk where he was busy grading papers. "They usually won't answer anyway."

"Don't I know it," Joei mumbled, chewing on her pen, "I don't even know what kind of conclusion I'm supposed to come up with. If they were of sound mind when they died? How does that even make sense?"

"It makes about as much sense as some of these papers," Dr. Garner sighed, "I think we should call it a day."

"We still have three hours left."

"Do you _want_ to keep staring at those files until you eat half your pen?"

"No."

"Then call it a night, Josephine. We'll get back to this tomorrow. We're both exhausted. Go home, eat some dinner and get some sleep." said her professor, already packing things into his suitcase.

"Thank you, Professor Garner."

"Before I forget, here is your entrance pass for the conference next week." he said, handing her a card on a lanyard with a picture of her and her name, "Don't lose it."

"Are you still sure you don't want to fly with me to New York? The jet has a full bar and sometimes if you're nice, the pilot will let you fly."

Dr. Garner chuckled, "My ticket is already paid for by the University and I would hate to let that money go to waste. I'll just have to rough it in first class."

"If that's what you want," Joei shrugged, "I'll see you tomorrow, Professor Garner."

* * *

 **October 11, 2011**

Joei walked down the street with her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. Her hood was drawn up to hide her hair and she kept her face down. Paparazzi would not be likely to look for her in this part of the city, but a few photographs of her at the psychology conference with Dr. Garner had made their way online, and now they knew she was in New York.

She walked slowly down the streets of cracked sidewalks and old buildings. Some of them were still in use as homes or small businesses. It was one of the few places in New York City that looked untouched by the new generation. She thought to the home where she had grown up, and then to the new home that her parents were constructing at the top of a skyscraper. Comparing them, she realized that it might be nice to live in one of these narrow houses with square windows and front steps and wall paper.

She approached the corner with bated breath as the eighty year old white building came into view. The letters above the door were pealing, but she could make out the words New York Bell Co. if she squinted.

Josephine looked around, and then back at the locked door. She shouldn't have come. She should have gone straight to the apartment Tony was renting after the day's workshop was over, or taken up the offer of some of the other interns to go grab a drink. She should have left the stupid key and the note with the address on her dashboard where she'd found it. Instead she had turned on the car and drove into this part of town. She'd left the car a few streets away in a parking garage that looked nice enough. But something in her gut had told her to come here. She knew what the place was as soon as she'd read the name, of course, but there was something else that had made her come. Now that she was here, she didn't actually want to go inside.

Peggy had told her all about the SSR office hidden within this building. How it was one of the first offices to be established after the end of the war and even functioned as a S.H.I.E.L.D office for about a year, before the space became too small and Howard had bought out the building and given it to Peggy as a gift. She'd never had the heart to modify it.

Josephine had gone to visit her aunt again at the beginning of the month, and while the older woman still had the same twinkle in her eye, she was beginning to forget more and more. Josephine had needed to remind her of Pepper's name, and where the bathroom was. Entering this building would only remind Josephine of who Peggy Carter was before, and that was something she still was having trouble facing. She wanted to enjoy the time she could spend with her aunt now, instead of lingering on a past that she couldn't change.

Josephine gripped the key tightly in her pocket and then let it go. Instead of getting closer to the door, she turned toward the street. Across from the building were smaller ones that looked just as old, if not older. One was a tailor shop, the other sold blown glass, and the third was a coffee and pastry shop with tables on the outside patio. There was only one person sitting at one of the many tables, and it didn't take long for Steve to recognize him.

She had two options. She could turn around before he looked up and saw her, walking away from the oportunity to speak to him. Or she could cross the street and say hello.

Josephine's mind was made up for her when he looked up from the notebook he was sketching on and saw her. She lifted the corner of her lips and looked both ways before crossing the street, feeling his eyes on her the entire time. When she got to the patio of the shop, Steve was already standing up with his chair pushed back.

"Maggie." he said her name softly, like he wasn't sure if they were on first names terms still.

"Hi, Steve."

"I didn't know you were in New York." he said, his voice sounding shaky.

She shrugged just as awkwardly, "I'm here for a conference with my professor."

"Oh."

An awkward silence fell between them, and Joei looked down at her feet. The sketchbook on the table caught her eye, and she saw that he'd been sketching the building across from them.

"I called you," she said finally, "On your birthday."

"Yeah," he answered a bit too loudly, then looked aorund quickly and started agian in a lower voice, "I, um, I was out. But I heard your message. I would have called you on your birthday but I don't know..."

"Tommorow."

"Excuse me?"

"My birthday. It's tomorrow. I'm turning nineteen."

"Oh. Okay. Happy Birthday."

"Thank you."

Neither one of them had any idea what to say after that.

"Well, I should go." said Joei, though she wanted to stay.

"Right. I'm sure you're busy. I hear you're building some big skyscraper. And you have your thing with the orphans."

"Um, yeah." she nodded, wondering how much Steve had been keeping up with the news related to her.

"Right. I should go too. I was just taking a lunch break before...going to do...stuff."

"Yeah. Of course. It was good to see you."

"You, too."

She turned around and was almost out of the restaurant's patio and on the sidewalk when her guilt finally won out and she turned around. He was sitting once more, pencil hovered over his sketchbook but unmoving.

"Steve." she called out and his head snapped up to look at her, "I just...about what happened at the retreat..."

"Don't worry about it."

"I just wanted to say..."

"Josephine."

She blinked a few times fast. Her first name sounded strange coming from him. Too harsh, almost like a scold.

"Just forget it ever happened. All of it. It's best if we both just forget about it."

"Oh," she said, unsure if she was hurt or relieved, "Okay. Yeah. So then we're just two people who happen to know each other."

"We're like coworkers," he nodded.

"Yeah. Okay. Bye. Enjoy your coffee."

"Thank you. Enjoy your afternoon."

Josephine walked away once more, her grip tihgtening on the key in her pocket almost painfully as she made her way down the street. When she had turned the corner and disappeared from his view, she stopped, leaned against the side of a building, and took in a series of shaky breaths. She had not cried in a long time, and she didn't intend on doing so now.

* * *

 **Soooo this is where we leave our heroes for now. They will be back soon in the next installment of this series, called Live To Rise.**


End file.
